{"id":71432,"date":"2025-11-18T22:09:17","date_gmt":"2025-11-18T22:09:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2025\/11\/18\/new-planes-ready-fleet-a-focus-as-wilsbach-takes-charge-of-air-force\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T01:29:44","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T01:29:44","slug":"new-planes-ready-fleet-a-focus-as-wilsbach-takes-charge-of-air-force","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2025\/11\/18\/new-planes-ready-fleet-a-focus-as-wilsbach-takes-charge-of-air-force\/","title":{"rendered":"New planes, ready fleet a focus as Wilsbach takes charge of Air Force"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">New Air Force <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/air\/2025\/10\/30\/senate-confirms-wilsbach-as-air-force-chief-of-staff\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/air\/2025\/10\/30\/senate-confirms-wilsbach-as-air-force-chief-of-staff\/\">Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach<\/a> on Tuesday pledged to focus on modernizing the service\u2019s fleet, improving the readiness of both its aircraft and airmen and strengthening how well it works with other services and allies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cBeing able to deliver [airpower] when called upon demands a constant focus on readiness,\u201d Wilsbach said during the assumption of responsibilities ceremony at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. \u201cAirmen or aircraft that are not ready to fight undermines our ability to win. Restoring reliability across all aspects of our force, from trained combat formations to better aircraft availability, is vital.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Senate confirmed Wilsbach to be the service\u2019s 24th chief of staff Oct. 30. He was sworn in by Air Force Secretary Troy Meink on Nov. 3. Wilsbach succeeds Gen. David Allvin, who did not attend the ceremony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wilsbach pointed to the U.S. military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June, known as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2025\/06\/22\/how-the-us-bombarded-iranian-nuclear-sites-while-avoiding-detection\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2025\/06\/22\/how-the-us-bombarded-iranian-nuclear-sites-while-avoiding-detection\/\">Operation Midnight Hammer<\/a>, as an example of the Air Force\u2019s ability to deliver decisive airpower. But he stressed that maintaining readiness is critical for ensuring the service can provide those capabilities when needed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOur main purposes never change: We fly and fix to fight and win our nation\u2019s wars,\u201d Wilsbach said. \u201cThat mission binds us across all specialties, across all generations and across the globe. From maintainers on the flight line, to operators in the cockpit, to defenders, to logisticians, every airman plays a critical role in generating the airpower to protect our nation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wilsbach\u2019s emphasis on the need to improve aircraft readiness comes at a time of heightened concern about the Air Force\u2019s ability to generate enough airpower. The service\u2019s fleet is growing older, and at the same time shrinking as the number of aircraft drops below 5,000 for the first time. Mission-capable rates have steadily declined over recent years, with barely more than six in 10 aircraft in the fleet were able to carry out their missions on an average day in fiscal 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Wilsbach also said that to maintain its edge over adversaries, the Air Force has to speed up its acquisition of new advanced capabilities such as the sixth-generation F-47 fighter, the B-21 Raider stealth bomber and the fleet of drone wingmen known as collaborative combat aircraft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe have to modernize, and our Air Force will constantly lead the way into the future, both modernizing and innovating to stay at the vanguard of combat aviation,\u201d Wilsbach said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In his address introducing Wilsbach, Meink highlighted the new chief\u2019s advocacy for updating the service\u2019s aircraft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cGetting that modernization right will set us up for the future,\u201d Meink said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For the Air Force to maintain its air dominance, Wilsbach said, it must continue to work jointly with other U.S. military services as well as international partners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMaintaining that international security requires more than just one service, and more than one nation,\u201d Wilsbach said. \u201cCollectively, we are stronger.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And to build a \u201cstrong warfighter culture,\u201d Wilsbach said, airmen need steady, realistic and difficult training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cLeaders at all echelons taking smart risks should be ingrained in our culture,\u201d Wilsbach said. \u201cA team that does hard things together is a team that will be successful in combat.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Wilsbach&#8217;s emphasis on aircraft readiness comes 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