Incidents of the most expensive and deadliest aviation accidents among Army and Marine Corps have increased over the course of the past year, according to data the Daily Caller reviewed.
Both the Army, which includes Guard and Reserve units, and Marine Corps have experienced unprecedented rates of “Class A mishaps” and are at risk of going through the most expensive and fatal aviation year in recent memory, per the data’s findings. The military classifies Class A mishaps as aviation accidents that cause the loss of airframe, loss of life, or at least $2.5 million in damages.
The rise in accidents came at a time when the military has fallen in size, which had placed increased pressure on pilots and aircraft maintainers.
Frighteningly, the average number of years of experience that aviators have under their belt has decreased substantially, per media and expert reports.
The Army has already experienced 11 Class A mishaps caused 9 fatalities across the second quarter of fiscal year 2024, which started in October. This figure surpassed the total class A mishap figure for all of fiscal year 2023, per data highlighted in the April issue of FlightFax. In that year, there were 10 Class A mishaps that resulted in the deaths of 14 aircrew.
In addition, fiscal year 2023 experienced a Class A mishap rate of 1.08, which is substantially higher than the five-year average of 0.85, per FlightFax’s figures. That said, this figure is lower than the current fiscal year mishap rate of 2.95 per 100,000 flight hours.
Over 12 Army aviators were killed in helicopter crashes during the first 6 months of fiscal year 2023. This alarming trend caused Army authorities to issue an Army-wide aviation safety standdown.
Regardless, accidents continued occurring as 14 soldiers perished in 10 Class A mishaps. This figure is over double the average fatality numbers and the highest since US forces exited from Iraq in 2011, per a report by Defense News.
In a similar vein, flight incidents involving Marine Corps aviators appeared to take place at a frightening rate in recent months.
In fiscal year 2024, Class A mishaps have already climbed well above average, Naval Safety Command statistics demonstrated As of April 9, the Marine Corps experienced a marked increase in Class A mishaps for the first and second quarters of 2024 with a rate of 4.31 per 100,000 flight hours,
What’s taking place here is a sign of institutional decline. The combination of the military embracing politically correct policies that prioritize the hiring of people based on race and other identity markers and imperial overstretch that has strained valuable resources has rendered the US’s once vaunted armed forces practically useless.
Unless, there’s a major restructuring of the military — i.e. a through purge of the military — and a scale back of foreign policy, such degradation will only accelerate.
At some point, even the greatest of empires can’t avoid the iron law of civilization decline.