WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — In testimony before the US House of Representatives Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel, Grosso attributed the pilot shortage to a combination of military budget cuts and a surge of civilian pilots who are approaching mandatory retirement age.
"This confluence of circumstances has birthed a national air crew crisis," Grosso stated.
At present, the Air Force suffers from a shortage of 1,211 fighter pilots, and civilian hiring is expected to continue at present levels for 10-to-15 years.
Grosso also noted that the cost to train each fifth generation aircraft pilot is about $12 million, which amounts to a capital loss for the Air Force of more than $12 billion.
