U.S. Military Banks on Deterrence

Air Force pilot shortages and an aging fighter fleet are among the challenges the U.S. military confronts amid its response to the Israel-Hamas war and beyond.

Kimberly Johnson

Wednesday, October 11, 2023 at 05:37 PM ET

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The U.S. Navy Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group arrived in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, October 10, 2023. [Credit: U.S. Navy]

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. rapidly deployed the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group and Air Force assets to the eastern Mediterranean, along with military aid, to support Israel following Hamas's attack.
This deployment highlights critical U.S. military readiness challenges, including a significant and growing pilot shortage and an aging Air Force fighter fleet that is undersized and lacks sufficient modernization.
These internal pressures, combined with ongoing global commitments and new conflicts, are stretching the U.S. military to an unsustainable breaking point, despite its goal to deter further wars.

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The USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group arrived in the eastern Mediterranean on Wednesday, joining Air Force F-15s, F-16s, and A-10s that had been rapidly sent to the region to augment existing fighter squadrons.

As military aircraft and ships moved in, munitions moved out. Four days following the surprise invasion of Israel by Hamas militants, the U.S. surged military assistance, including ammunition and interceptors to replenish its Iron Dome air defense system.