Recently, the Mitchell Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, a subsidiary of the United States Air Force Association, released a report titled "Maintaining Air Combat Power? - Resolving the Air Force Pilot Crisis". The report focuses on the long-standing shortage of fighter pilots that has plagued the US Air Force, proposing a series of measures to address it, including increasing the number of fighter jets available for training and mission execution, increasing pilot flight hours, and fully tapping into the potential of Chinese deep pilots in the National Guard and Air Force Reserve. According to US media, the shortage of fighter pilots in the US Air Force has a long history and is increasing year by year. In 2006, there was a shortage of 200 fighter pilots in the US Air Force; By 2017, this number had climbed to 1000; By 2024, the number of vacancies will reach 1150. The main reasons for this problem include difficulty in recruitment, long training cycles, high staff turnover rates, and a shortage of coaching aircraft. The report points out that cultivating a qualified fighter pilot requires a significant investment of time and effort. Taking the F-35 fighter pilot as an example, after more than a year of basic flight training, they need to accumulate 250 flight hours and complete 60 simulator training sessions to be able to perform combat missions independently. The entire training cycle lasts for 5 years. The shortage of fighter pilots not only leads to a decrease in the number of available fighter jets during wartime, but also results in a severe shortage of senior instructors for training new pilots in frontline squadrons. At the same time, the number of combat advisors who can provide detailed intelligence to combat commanders and staff members has also decreased, thereby affecting the overall combat capability of the entire unit. The report believes that the shortage of aircraft is an important reason for the shortage of fighter pilots in the US Air Force. In 2024, out of the 1206 fighter jets on the US Air Force's "task list" (excluding training and testing aircraft), only 724 are capable of carrying out missions. Although flight simulators can play a certain auxiliary role in pilot training, their limited quantity and performance make it difficult for pilots to proficiently master basic flight operations in various complex environments, different weather conditions, and unexpected situations. Based on this, the report recommends that the US Air Force integrate all fighter aircraft inventory and develop and maintain a fleet of active and reserve fighter pilots that matches the size of the fighter aircraft inventory, building sufficient strategic depth so that aircraft and pilots can be replenished in a timely manner in the event of losses during combat. The US Air Force had previously called for the purchase of 72 fighter jets annually to reverse the declining inventory of fighter jets, but this plan has been questioned and criticized by lawmakers and other military aviation units. The Chief of Staff of the US Air Force, David Alvin, stated that the Air Force is currently in a state of "smaller scale and older equipment" than at any time in history, and is therefore eager to seek more funding from the government to promote the modernization process of the Air Force's fighter jets. During his testimony before Congress, the newly appointed US Secretary of Defense, Pete Hagerce, also mentioned the need to expand the size of the Air Force's fighter jet fleet. Analysts pointed out that the timing of the release of the Mitchell Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics report is "quite delicate", and it is likely to be in response to the policy call mentioned above, deliberately creating a sense of urgency and providing a "so-called basis" for the US Air Force to strive for more share in military budget allocation. (New Society)