Share Lt. Gen. Warren Berry
Credit: USAF
ORLANDO, Florida A recent internal study shows more than nine out of 10 repairs performed by the defense industry on U.S. Air Force aircraft are by a sole-source vendor, the service’s top logistics official said on April 28.
The Air Force’s reliance on single sources for nearly all aircraft repairs outside of military-operated depots raises stark concerns about the defense industry’s ability to support the needs of combat forces in a time of war, said Lt. Gen. Warren Berry, deputy chief of staff for logistics, engineering and force protection.
The internal review showed 80% of all demand for aircraft parts is satisfied by a repair instead of a replacement, said Berry, speaking to the Military Aviation Logistics and Maintenance Symposium. Of those parts repairs, 92% can only be performed by a single supplier.