US Air Force pilots lack sufficient sortie experience for combat operations - report

MIAS expert John Venable noted that the pilot shortage facing the US military is anecdotally 4,000 open slots, though the official number is 2,000.

Many US Air Force (USAF) pilots lack sufficient sortie experience to remain combat-ready, the Military Times reported Sunday.

The report cited John Venable, an expert at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies (MIAS), who said the average USAF pilot currently performs only one sortie a month, down from 5.5 a month in 2023, with the latter still only 60% of the required level.

To be considered combat-ready, USAF pilots need at minimum 9 sorties per month, the Military Times said, citing past service statements.

Venable noted that during Operations Midnight Hammer and Epic Fury, US operations “came on the backs” of the Israel Air Force, whose pilots fly an average of 20 sorties per month.

The report said that, during Operation Epic Fury, the USAF had 25 squadrons with about 325 aircraft, according to the MIAS, out of 1,084 active aircraft, including 634 mission-capable jets as of 2024.

“If you look schematically at the whole picture, 325 aircraft, combat-coded fighter aircraft, is half of what we had in Desert Storm," said Venable. "It’s about all we can muster today.”

Venable: USAF has not released information on pilot sortie rates since 2023

According to Venable, the USAF has not released information on pilot sortie rates since 2023.

He added that the pilot shortage facing the US military stands anecdotally at 4,000 open slots, despite the official number being 2,000.

The Military Times cited the expert as at least partially attributing the issue to the actions of former US Air Force secretary Frank Kendall, who in 2025 reallocated funds away from thousands of aviation maintenance positions while serving under then-US president Joe Biden.