Our analysis shows that dual-tasking could allow the Air Force to make more efficient use of fighter squadrons, resulting in tasking significantly fewer squadrons for more than one 90-day period to meet requirements. As a result, fewer squadrons would need to be tasked to meet requirements. Finally, our analysis showed that dual-tasking would result in more of a squadron’s aircraft being used to meet requirements. Significant Challenges Could Limit Realization of Benefits

Implementing dual-tasking under the 2010 Concept presents the Air Force with some significant challenges. Filling Maintenance Positions Is Critical

Our analysis showed that the Air Force would need to fill more of its authorized maintenance positions to support deploying a greater portion of a dual-tasked squadron’s aircraft. More than half of the maintenance specialties at both wings were undermanned, and many were assigned 60 percent or fewer of the people authorized. The problems posed by vacant maintenance positions would be even more pronounced under dual-tasking, since the wing would need to deploy more maintenance personnel to support the greater portion of a squadron’s aircraft that would be deployed. To do this, we compared how the Air Force met requirements in the most recent Expeditionary Aerospace Force 15-month cycle (Dec. 2000 to Feb. 2002)with how it would meet these same requirements under the 2010 dual- tasking concept. From this analysis we compared, for the most recent 15-month cycle and in 2010, the total number of squadrons used to meet requirements, the number of squadrons used for more than one 90-day period, the number of aircraft deployed to cover requirements from each squadron, and the number of aircraft that remained at their home station. Additionally, to assess whether dual-tasked squadrons would have enough pilots to meet the higher deployment requirements under dual- tasking, we compared the number of pilots in squadrons with the number that would be required if the squadrons were dual-tasked.
What GAO Found

The Air Force expeditionary aerospace force concept seeks to spread deployments more evenly across its forces and increase the predictability of deployments. By dual-tasking some fighter squadrons the Air Force could fulfill two requirements as the 2010 Concept envisions. Although significant challenges could impede the ability to maximize these benefits, the Air Force has not specifically analyzed what is needed to implement dual-tasking by 2010. Dual-tasking would result in more efficient use of squadrons and greatly reduce the need to use squadrons for more than one 90-day deployment every 15 months. Dual-tasking would provide theater commanders with the same number of aircraft to meet requirements as under current practice; however, the aircraft would come from fewer squadrons. Because a larger proportion of a squadron's aircraft would be used to meet requirements, and because dual-tasking uses fewer squadrons to meet requirements, the need to repeatedly use the same squadrons would be reduced. The number of squadrons needed for more than one 90-day period over a 15-month period would decline from 26 squadrons to five. More training would be required under dual-tasking. Yet, the Air Force has not quantified this increase, assessed how it would manage the increase, or projected how it would support such an increase either logistically or in its budget. To support deploying a greater portion of dual-tasked squadron's aircraft, more of the authorized maintenance positions would have to be filled. More than half of the maintenance specialties at the wings GAO analyzed were undermanned, and some were manned at less than 60 percent. Dual-tasking could cause maintenance personnel to be deployed more frequently than desired unless more of these vacant positions are filled. In addition, almost all of a squadron's pilots would be needed to meet dual-tasking requirements. This will pose challenges in managing pilot deployments.