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Story summary
- U.S. Air Force pilots are not meeting the nine-sorties-per-month combat-readiness threshold.
- Pilots average one sortie monthly, down from 5.5 in 2023, according to expert John Venable (Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies).
- Israel Air Force pilots flew about 20 sorties monthly during Operations Midnight Hammer and Epic Fury.
- USAF reported 634 mission-capable jets out of 1,084 active aircraft in 2024.
- Anecdotal reports cite a 4,000-pilot shortage, while official data show 2,000 open slots.