Nearly two-thirds of Navy planes grounded due to years of budget cuts
(FOX)- Years of budget cuts have taken a toll on the Navy’s fleet of strike fighters.
Nearly two-thirds of the Navy’s strike fighters are sitting unused because there is not enough money to repair them, according to DefenseNews.com.
The Navy has had to deal with declining budgets in recent years even though the demand for military aircrafts carriers remains the same. Congress was unable to produce a budget before the October 1 start of the 2017 fiscal year. Political leaders say Congress’ inability to pass the military budget on time is hurting the fleet.
In addition to the grounded planes, there isn’t enough money to fix the Navy’s ships, either. Maintenance of ships have been canceled or deferred.
When military vessels are finally brought in for repair, it often takes more time to complete the work. Some submarines in the fleet have been out of service for long periods of time — in some cases more than four years.
One sub, the Boise, even lost its diving certification because it was out of commission for so long.
Officials claim that if more money doesn’t become available soon, another five submarines could lose certification, according to the military news agency.