US Navy SEAL Playbook a Model for Military Aircraft Maintenance

Adam Schwarze is an officer in the Navy SEALs who serves as in-water mission commander for the DELTA Platoon. Part of an elite fighting unit, Adam Schwarze guides operations that often take team members to hostile regions of the globe and deliver results that are critical to US interests.

An article in Forbes by a former four-star admiral and Navy pilot who commanded the US Pacific Fleet recommended that the Navy SEAL “operating formula” be applied to ensure the mission readiness of US military aircraft. This playbook involves team members working tightly in sync, with full accountability, to achieve sought-after results. Designed for small groups, it’s a method that works efficiently in a wide array of missions.

Unfortunately, this effective readiness methodology for high-performance units does not translate to the military as a whole. Vast inefficiencies crop up in the larger force, including in regard to critical areas such as equipment maintenance. A 2020 report of the General Accounting Office (GAO) found that, from 2011 and 2019, only three of almost 50 types of aircraft in service consistently achieved mission-capable goals.

The recommended solution involves original equipment manufacturers and the military working closely to develop common goals specific to aircraft. This includes metrics and meaningful incentives designed to assure flight readiness. A public-private partnership of this nature would involve working through complex moving parts to find a system that works reliably and does not allow serious lapses or errors to creep in. As the article’s author views it, having such a system in place would ensure full capabilities during moments of national crisis.