AVERAGE AGE (Years)

The four major factors that drive the requirement for depot maintenance are the number of aircraft in the inventory, the hours they are flown, the complexity of the aircraft and its systems, and the age of the aircraft. The trend in number of aircraft and flying hours is portrayed on earlier charts. The growing age of the aircraft in the inventory is illustrated on the following chart and table.

The foregoing data indicate that in spite of the ongoing modernization program, the average age of aircraft in the force grew perceptibly over the past two decades, as the percentage of aircraft over nine years old went from 34 percent in FY 1964 to 77 percent in FY 1980. This aging of the force is reflected in the increased cost of aircraft repair, maintenance and modification.

The following chart illustrates the recent trend in the unfunded backlog of facility maintenance and repair (sometimes called BMAR). Also shown is the funded program for comparison.

The unfunded backlog has grown steadily since FY 1976 as inflation has eroded the purchasing power of Air Force O&M funding. This program is one that is relatively controllable, because a portion, particularly facility projects by contract, can be deferred by field level managers when funding is short. This occurred consistently during the past few years.

The "containment" line represents the backlog level desired by the Appropriations Committee.

Individual Skill Training

Initial skill training is formal training provided by Air Force Training Command leading toward an award of an Air Force specialty designation at the lowest skill level. This training is normally given immediately after a new enlistee has completed recruit training. From FY 1970 to FY 1980 we reduced our average course length for enlisted initial skill training from 16.3 weeks to 11 weeks. This was the result of instructional systems development and course revisions, and to provide training to meet only the minimum requirements of an individual's first job assignment during his first enlistment.

As a result of the initial skill course length reductions, increased skill progression training has been required during subsequent enlistments to provide personnel with the additional knowledge to perform at a higher skill level and to operate or maintain new Air Force equipment and systems. Also, because of the loss of second term and career enlisted personnel in our field units, increased skill progression training is required to offset the experienced personnel shortfall.

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However, as a result of recent O&M funding shortages and the continuing travel limitations, our skill progression training loads have been decreasing. rather than increasing to meet the higher training requirements. This is having a direct, adverse impact on readiness.

The following two charts illustrate these trends in our specialized skill training programs. The first chart shows the decreases in the initial skill course length and the second shows the decline in skill progression training.

The Air Force is currently faced with significant aviator deficits in the near term which will require increased training rates to alleviate the problem. These deficits will begin to decrease in the FY 1984 time period based on the currently programmed force structure. At this time, the more critical situation exists in the navigator career field. The following two charts show the active pilot and navigator inventories compared with requirements since FY 1976, and the projected inventory and requirements through FY 1986. Also shown are the annual gains and losses for the FY 1976-86 timeframe.