Overall deployed aviation FMC rates are high. Indeed, the readiness of deployed carrier aircraft has fully recovered from its 1997 decline, but we see declines in nondeployed units and in specific communities. Although nondeployed FMC rates have declined overall, the severe readiness decline in squadrons nearing deployment was less evident in 1998 than in 1997. As for specific aircraft types, the decline in the EA-6B community has been quite severe, a trend that continues into the first quarter of 1999. Readiness rates for the E-2 are also lower than they were a few years ago.
Deployable squadrons show declines in manning in both junior and very senior paygrades.
Unit training, especially for fighter and attack units, continues to decline.