Five years ago, U.S. Navy leaders faced a massive strategic challenge: to get more of its fighter aircraft ready for takeoff.
Lessons from the U.S. Navy on Building a Culture of Learning
In 2018, the secretary of defense directed the Navy to increase the number of available F/A-18s from 260 to 341 jets within one year. Here’s how they did it.
November 28, 2023
Summary.
The U.S. Navy recently needed to transform the way it approached the mission readiness of its F/A-18 Strike Fighter aircraft, which had a history of having too many aircraft down for maintenance. Faced with a goal of having at least 341 jets ready to fly (up from 260) in one year, the Navy embarked on a program that included baseline data collection, better understanding of the obstacles to mission readiness, and clearer accountability and ownership. This program allowed the Navy to exceed its goals — and provides lessons that any organization undergoing a transformation can learn from.