Watchdog says too few of the US Air Force's flying gas stations are ready to fly missions

GAO: U.S. Air Force tanker fleet missed readiness goals every year from 2019–2025, raising concerns about aerial refueling capacity.
Key problems: aging KC-135s, KC-46 technical/production issues, and shortages of parts, maintenance staff and infrastructure.
Demand surged during recent combat ops, straining missions — refueling shortfalls and accidents have highlighted the gap.