Desperate for planes, military turns to the ‘boneyard’

It’s something akin to raising the dead.

A troubling shortage of flyable combat aircraft – one military official recently called the air fleet the “smallest, oldest and least ready” in history – is forcing the military to go to its “boneyard.”

The Marine Corps announced last month it was taking the extreme step of resurrecting 23 F/A-18 Hornets to meet fleet requirements until the new – and much-delayed – F-35 fighter is eventually delivered.

“We are very focused on our current readiness, and at the moment, we don’t have enough Hornets for combat, flight instruction and day-to-day training,” Sarah Burns, a spokesman for the U.S. Marine Corps, told CNN.

She explained that the out-of-service, aging aircraft are housed at the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center – a desert base in Arizona known as “the boneyard” – with the “intent to store, maintain, and upgrade them for today’s use.”

The military regularly sends “mothball” or extra aircraft to the “boneyard” for long-term storage, rather than destroying the planes. However, Lt. Gen. Jon M. Davis, deputy commandant for aviation for the U.S. Marine Corps, noted that while bringing back the planes does provide additional inventory, they are still “old birds” and not as reliable as they once were.

Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet

B-52 Stratofortress —  

The first versions of this long-range heavy bomber flew in 1954. A total of 744 were built, the last of those in 1962. The Air Force maintains 58 B-52s in the active force and 18 in the Reserve. A single B-52 can carry 70,000 pounds of mixed munitions, including bombs, missiles and mines. The eight-engine jets have a range of 8,800 miles.

PHOTO: Master Sgt. Greg Steele/U.S. Air Force

Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet

C-130 Hercules transport —  

A C-130J Super Hercules from the 37th Airlift Squadron flies over Normandy, France, June 3, 2015. First delivered to the Air Force in 1956, the C-130 remains one of the service's most important airlift platforms. More than 140 are still in active units, with more than 180 in the National Guard and a hundred more in the Reserve. The C-130 is powered by four turboprop engines.

PHOTO: U.S. Air Force/Senior Airman Nicole Sikorski

Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet

AC-130 gunships —  

The AC-130H Spectre and the AC-130U Spooky gunships are designed for close air support, air interdiction and force protection. Armaments on the Spectre include 40mm and 105mm cannons. The Spooky adds a 25mm Gatling gun.

PHOTO: U.S. Air Force

Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet

F-22 Raptor —  

The twin-engine F-22 stealth fighter, flown by a single pilot and armed with a 20mm cannon, heat-seeking missiles, radar-guided missiles and radar-guided bombs, can perform both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. The service has 183 of the Raptors, which went operational in 2005.

PHOTO: Justin Connaher/U.S. Air Force

Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet

The single-engine F-35A is the Air Force's eventual replacement for the F-16 and the A-10. The supersonic jets, which will be able to conduct air-to-air and air-to-ground attacks, are just beginning to enter the Air Force fleet. Here, an F-35 Lightning II from the 34th Fighter Squadron at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, flys at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, April 15, 2017.

PHOTO: US Air Force/Airman 1st Class Elijah Chevalier

Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet

B-2 Spirit bomber —  

The four-engine B-2 heavy bomber has stealth properties that make it hard to detect on radar. Flown by a crew of two, it has an unrefueled range of 6,000 miles and can deliver both conventional and nuclear bombs. Twenty B-2s are in the active inventory. They joined the fleet in 1997.

PHOTO: Master Sgt. Kevin J. Gruenwald/USAF

Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet

B-1B Lancer bomber —  

The four-engine jet can fly at 900 mph and carry the largest payload of bombs and missiles in the Air Force inventory. The Air Force has 62 B-1Bs in the fleet.

PHOTO: Airman 1st Class James L. Miller/USAF

Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet

F-15 Eagle —  

The F-15 Eagle, the Air Force's main air superiority fighter, became operational in 1975. With a crew of one or two, depending on the model, the twin-engine jets are armed with a 20mm cannon along with Sidewinder or AMRAAM missiles. The Air Force lists 249 F-15 Eagles in its inventory.

PHOTO: Airman 1st Class Chad Warren/USAF

Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet

F-15E Strike Eagle —  

The Strike Eagle is a version of the air superiority fighter adapted to perform ground-strike missions. With a crew of two, the twin-jet can carry and deploy most weapons in the Air Force inventory and operate in any weather. The F-15E was first delivered in 1988. The Air Force lists 219 in its fleet.

PHOTO: U.S. Air Force/FILE

Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet

A-10 Thunderbolt —  

The A-10 Thunderbolt jets, nicknamed "Warthogs," are specially designed for close air support of ground forces. Key to their armaments is a 30mm Gatling gun. The pilot is protected from ground fire by titanium armor, and the plane's fuel cells are self-sealing in case of puncture.

PHOTO: U.S. Air Force/FIle

Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet

RC-135U —  

The RC-135U Combat Sent, based at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, provides strategic electronic reconnaissance information to the president, secretary of defense, Department of Defense leaders and theater commanders.

PHOTO: U.S. Air Force

Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet

An F-15 Eagle takes off from the Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, flight line as two E-3 Sentries are seen in the background.

PHOTO: Airman 1st Class Jeffrey Schultz/USAF

Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet

OV-10 Bronco —  

A 21st Tactical Air Support Squadron OV-10 Bronco aircraft fires white phosphorus rockets to mark a target for an air strike during tactical air control training.

PHOTO: USAF/Getty Images North America/Getty Images

Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet

A-29 Super Tucano —  

An A-29 Super Tucano taxis on the flightline during its first arrival, Sept. 26, 2014, at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. Afghan Air Force pilots trained on the planes that will be used in air-to-ground attack missions in Afghanistan.

PHOTO: Airman 1st Class Dillian Bamman/USAF

Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet

KC-135 Stratotanker —  

The four-engine KC-135 joined the Air Force fleet in 1956 as both a tanker and cargo jet. It can carry up to 200,000 pounds of fuel and 83,000 pounds of cargo and passengers in a deck above the refueling system. More than 400 of the KC-135s are flown by active, Air Guard and Reserve units.

PHOTO: Master Sgt. Keith Reed/USAF

Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet

F-16 Fighting Falcon —  

The single-engine jet is a mainstay of the Air Force combat fleet. It can perform both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions with its 20mm cannon and ability to carry missiles and bombs on external pods. More than 1,000 F-16s are in the Air Force inventory.

PHOTO: Master Sgt. Kevin J. Gruenwald/U.S. Air Force/File

Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet

C-17 Globemaster transport —  

The four-engine jet joined the Air Force fleet in 1993 with a primary mission of troop and cargo transport. Each plane can carry up to 102 troops or 170,900 pounds of cargo. The Air Force has 187 C-17s on active duty, 12 in the Air National Guard and 14 in the Reserve.

PHOTO: SSgt Sean M. Worrell/USAF

Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet

C-5 Galaxy transport —  

The C-5, with a wingspan of 222 feet, a length of 247 feet and a height of 65 feet, is the largest plane in the Air Force inventory and one of the largest aircraft in the world. The first versions of the four-engine jet joined the force in 1970. The Air Force expects to have 52 versions of the latest model, the C-5M, in the fleet by 2017.

PHOTO: Jason Minto/US AIR FORCE

Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet

CV-22 Osprey —  

The Osprey is a tiltrotor aircraft that combines vertical takeoff, hover and landing qualities of a helicopter with the normal flight characteristics of a turboprop aircraft, according to the Air Force. It is used to move troops in and out of operations as well as resupply units in the field. The Air Force has 33 Ospreys in inventory.

PHOTO: U.S. Air Force/Staff Sgt. Markus Maier

Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet

E-3 Sentry AWACS —  

AWACS stands for airborne warning and control system. This four-engine jet, based on a Boeing 707 platform, monitors and manages battle space with its huge rotating radar dome. The planes have a flight crew of four supporting 13 to 19 specialists and controllers giving direction to units around the battle space. The Air Force has 32 E-3s in inventory.

PHOTO: US Air Force

Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet

KC-10 Extender —  

Based on the DC-10 passenger jet, the triple-engine KC-10 is a gas station in the sky with the ability to carry 75 people and 170,000 pounds of cargo. In its six tanks, the KC-10 can carry up to 356,000 pounds of fuel and dispense it while airborne. The Air Force has 59 KC-10s on active duty.

PHOTO: Brian Dyjak/USAF

Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet

T-38 Talon —  

The twin-engine jet trainer, used by the Air Force to prepare pilots for the F-15E Strike Eagle, F-15C Eagle, F-16 Fighting Falcon, B-1B Lancer, A-10 Thunderbolt and F-22 Raptor, first flew in 1959. Almost 550 are in the active force.

PHOTO: Master Sgt. Lance Cheung/USAF

Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet

U-2 —  

The single-engine, single-pilot U-2 is used for high-altitude reconnaissance and surveillance. Flying at altitudes around 70,000 feet, pilots must wear pressure suits like those worn by astronauts. The first U-2 was flown in 1955. The planes were used on missions over the Soviet Union during the Cold War, flying too high to be reached by any adversary. The Air Force has 33 U-2s in its active inventory.

PHOTO: USAF/Getty Images

Photos: In the U.S. Air Force fleet

WC-135 Constant Phoenix —  

The four-engine WC-135 is used to fly through airspace to detect the residue of nuclear blasts. "The aircraft is equipped with external flow-through devices to collect particulates on filter paper and a compressor system for whole air samples collected in holding spheres," the Air Force says. It has two of these jets in the active force.

PHOTO: U.S. Air Force/Josh Plueger

Prev Next

And if planes aren’t in the boneyard already, others are getting close.

The delayed arrival of new aircraft, like the fifth-generation F-35, also has forced the military to rely heavily on planes nearing the end of their lifespan.

RELATED: Ash Carter announces more troops to Iraq

According to Maj. Gen. Scott West, the director of current operations for the Air Force, airmen are flying some aircraft and bombers, like the B-52 Stratofortress, that are more than 50 years old.

Military brass warn Congress there’s a problem

As it presses aircraft back into service, the military is having to lean heavily on a smaller and aging air fleet – a trend that has leaders across all four armed service branches concerned about combat performance and pilot safety.

Appearing before a House Armed Services subcommittee last week, leaders from the Air Force, Navy, Army and Marines warned lawmakers that fiscal constraints, coupled with the critical focus on overseas operations, have seriously degraded training and readiness efforts.

“Twenty-five years of continuous combat operations … coupled with budget instability and lower-than-planned funding levels, have contributed to one of the smallest, oldest and least ready forces across the full-spectrum of operations in our history,” said Maj. Gen. Scott West, director of current operations, Headquarters for the U.S. Air Force.

While each armed service branch has scrambled to find ways to fulfill its combat responsibilities in the short-term, military leaders said delays in the production of next-generation aircraft and shrinking budgets have put a strain on the condition of the current fleet, as well as the servicemen and women who fly and maintain them.

“Fiscal constraints continue to force difficult trades in capacity and readiness for long-term capability improvements,” said Rear Adm. Michael Manazir, the deputy chief of naval operations for warfare systems.

The military commanders cautioned that they simply do not have enough aircraft ready for flight to keep up with the current pace of deployment and to safely train aircrews here at home.

“Today, there are not enough flyable aircraft – our ‘ready bench’ – if our nation were subjected to a crisis,” Davis said. “Today, I could fly 43% (443 of the 1,040) of the aircraft I should have on my flight lines.”

A lack of spare parts and maintenance personnel trained to repair damaged aircraft are two of the main factors contributing to the lack of operational aircraft, according to military brass.

Describing military aviation as a “fragile ecosystem,” Davis emphasized the importance of keeping all requisite aspects of that system nourished to keep the entire network healthy.

“We are balancing the need to have our current fleet as ready and modern as possible, to train our pilots and maintainers, and to out match any current foe on the battlefield,” he said. “If any get out of balance for long, the whole system can begin to fray and collapse.”

RELATED: Will ISIS be easily pushed from Mosul?

The need to improve readiness and training has been further amplified by the shrinking technology advantage that the U.S. holds over potential adversaries like China and Russia, according to Manazir.

“Provocations with state and non-state actors continue to cause instability in almost every region of the world,” he told the subcommittee. “We continue to face challenges associated with balancing readiness for today and modernization for tomorrow’s fight. More of our force is being demanded, deployed longer than planned. Intended replacements are not keeping pace with attrition.”

With that in mind, the Pentagon has fought to extend the life of several aircraft, including the A-10 Thunderbolt, despite calls from Congress to eliminate the program in favor of allocating funding to other initiatives.

But the lack of a clear replacement for the A-10, which specializes in performing close air support missions, has forced Congress to continue the use of the old warbird that first flew in 1975.

Fears about pilot safety

All four military leaders also repeatedly emphasized that the current lack of flyable aircraft could pose a significant risk to pilot safety.

Despite no significant rise in serious mishaps or accidents resulting from any gaps in maintenance and lack of training, the four services noted that the potential for such looms in the near future.

With fewer planes available, Davis said Marine aviators are receiving significantly less flight time. In the past, Marine pilots would receive 1,000 to 1,500 hours but today’s aviators only have between 500 and 600 hours.

“I worry about my young aviators that aren’t getting the number of hours they need to,” Davis said. “As a young guy, I had a couple of close calls. I do not know how I would do having the amount of flight time that my youngsters get.”

There has been an uptick in recent minor aircraft incidents resulting in billions of dollars in damage and, in some cases, loss of life, the military brass told Congress.

Many of the incidents are still under investigation to determine whether they were caused by human error or an aircraft malfunction, but both lawmakers and military officials agreed that the limited training of pilots raises concern about the potential for future incidents.

“While it may not show itself directly today in the rate of mishaps, I do believe it exhibits itself in additional risk,” said Rep. Robert Wittman, R-Va., the subcommittee chairman.

“There’s a common theme here: We’re pushing harder. We have fewer resources. We have fewer of the skilled people in the necessary positions to do all the things that we need to do to make sure that we are not just rebuilding that readiness but maintaining the current level of readiness,” he said.