ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY

A 10-year study of military aircraft found most were unready for combat-related missions, including three types of Army helicopters.

The report by the Government Accountability Office, titled “Weapon System Sustainment: Aircraft Mission Capable Goals Were Generally Not Met and Sustainment Costs Varied by Aircraft,” details the examination of 49 types of fixed and rotary wing aircraft.

Findings indicate that only four aircraft met their annual mission readiness goals from fiscal 2011 through fiscal 2021—an overall decline over time.

Predictive maintenance on military weapons systems is already showing great value, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office.

“According to the Army, the use of predictive maintenance helped the Army avoid four serious aircraft accidents,” according to the December report.

With more than 200,000 buildings on its installations around the world, the Army faces a maintenance backlog worth several billion dollars, according to a new report from the Congressional Budget Office. 

The report, which analyzed 49,000 of those buildings in use on 88 Army installations across the U.S., estimates that “the cost of eliminating the deferred maintenance backlog and returning the buildings to the Army’s standards would be about $19 billion.”

The Army and DoD must better manage maintenance on its facilities, especially as buildings age and exceed their expected lifespans, according to a report by the Government Accountability Office. 

“DoD manages facilities worldwide with an estimated aggregate plant replacement value of about $1.3 trillion,” the report says. “Sustaining these facilities involves maintenance and repair to keep them in good working order. Deferring maintenance can lead to deterioration, potentially affecting DoD’s ability to support missions.” 

As the Army moves to replace its aging fleet of helicopters, the service must carefully manage long-term costs as it brings the next-generation aircraft into the force, according to a recent report.

The Army’s Future Vertical Lift program is one of its six top modernization priorities, and the service is working quickly to procure the new aircraft, with plans to field the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft in 2028 and the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft in 2030.

The Army plans to phase out all its old Alpha-model UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters within the next five years, one of the service’s top acquisition officers said.

The Army has used the Black Hawk since the 1970s, and the venerable aircraft has undergone several upgrades since then, with Victor and Mike being the newest, digital models.

The Army needs help in a busy and complex world, Sgt. Major of the Army Dan Dailey said Monday in a forum on readiness.