America's Military Can’t Repair Its Own $1.7 Trillion Jet
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Only about half of the U.S.’s fleet of F-35 fighter jets is operational at any time due to difficulties with repairs, which must go through contractors.

America’s Military Can’t Repair Its Own $1.7 Trillion Jet | Only about half of the U.S.’s fleet of F-35 fighter jets is operational at any time due to difficulties with repairs, which must go throu…::Only about half of the U.S.’s fleet of F-35 fighter jets is operational at any time due to difficulties with repairs, which must go through contractors.

  • treadful@lemmy.zipEnglish
    202·
    1 year ago

    When something breaks on the F-35, it takes the Pentagon an average of 141 days to repair it.

    That sounds bad, but it’s also completely out of context. Commercial jets probably stay grounded less than a day, but I have no frame of reference for fighter aircraft.

    • Bassman1805@lemmy.worldEnglish
      16·
      1 year ago

      I watched a video about maintenence for commercial passenger jets recently. Light engine maintenence takes on the order of a week, heavy maintenence takes several months. For heavy maintenence, they literally disassemble every component of the engine, so even if everything goes perfectly, it still takes forever.

      That said, I imagine they just swap a new engine into the plane while the old one is under maintenence.

      • benwubbleyou@lemmy.worldEnglish
        7·
        1 year ago

        Do you have a link to said video? Not because I disagree but because that sounds super interesting to watch.