Air Force’s big enemy

In late 2016, the Air Force realized it was facing a shortage of about 700 fighter pilots. The service, to its credit, pushed ahead with several initiatives to avert the looming crisis. The result: The Air Force is now short about 1,200 fighter pilots.

It’s not that the Air Force’s steps weren’t improvements. It’s that they were too small. With commercial airlines poaching the military ranks to replace a giant cohort of their own pilots reaching mandatory retirement age, the Air Force’s predicament is likely to get worse.

What to do? Increasingly, the Pentagon is loosening its “up or out” promotion policy, under which officers follow a strict career path that includes desk jobs and other things less fun than flying a $100 million jet at Mach 1. It could offer a new pilot-only track for flyers who just want to fly and aren’t looking to rise to very top of the service. In addition, pilots are often made to move to new assignments and bases all over the world every few years; giving those with families more flexibility to stay put would improve their quality of life. The Air Force should also consider a longer initial service commitment than the standard six or 10 years for those it sends to flight school, and a lengthened commitment from veteran pilots who receive additional training on more modern aircraft.

These steps, combined with expanding opportunities for non-officers to fly drones and transport aircraft, could make a real difference. So could raising the mandatory retirement age for commercial pilots, which would require the approval of the Federal Aviation Administration.

As the threat of great-power conflict rises, the capability and range of the U.S. Air Force is ever more vital to both U.S. national security and global stability.