Bombshell: One in Three UK Fighter Jets Unable to Fly - Reports

© AFP 2023 / IAKOVOS HATZISTAVROU A British Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jet is seen on the tarmac at the British airbase at Akrotiri, near Cyprus' second city of Limassol on December 3, 2015
A British Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jet is seen on the tarmac at the British airbase at Akrotiri, near Cyprus' second city of Limassol on December 3, 2015 - Sputnik International
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As the prowess of the UK’s armed forces continues to dwindle — a sad phenomenon reported by Sputnik on a number of occasions — the Mirror newspaper has just revealed previously unknown information about the sorry state of Britain’s airforce.

One in three of the British Royal Air Force's (RAF) planes are "unfit to fly," according to a damning expose by the Mirror.

The report reveals the shocking extent of the UK's decrepit air force — once the envy of militaries around the world. Allegedly, around 142 of 434 aircraft are stashed away in the force's so-called ‘sustainment fleet,' which the Mirror says is essentially a storage place for out-of-action jets or those needing "major repairs." 

READ MORE: British Navy and Air Force Face Off in Dispute Over New F-35 Jets – Reports

The sad spectacle reportedly includes 55 of Britain's 156 Typhoon fighter jets, worth a whopping £80 million each, which have been used for the extensive bombing campaigns over Iraq and Syria against Daesh as part of the US-led coalition ‘Operation Inherent Resolve.'

​Labour's shadow Defence Secretary, Nia Griffith, told the Mirror that, "Conservative cuts have had a crippling effect on this country's defences and our ability to respond to the range of threats the UK faces."

READ MORE: UK Female Trooper Sexually Assaults Comrade, Gets Away With Just a Warning

On top of that, a defence spokesman for the Liberal Democrats is quite by the Mirror as saying that, "it is self-evident that aircraft have to be withdrawn from the front line in order for repairs and routine servicing to be carried out."

​​However, he expressed his concern by adding that, "these figures seem to go beyond what is necessary for repair or service."

The Mirror says that the only aircraft currently operating at full strength are a squadron of planes used by the Royal Family and senior government ministers, including Prime Minister Theresa May, for "short-haul trips."

Sputnik has previously reported on the decaying state of the UK's military infrastructure, detailing the elaborate problems with warship maintenance and massive shortages in personnel, which culminated in a stern July 2018 letter by former US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis to his British counterpart, Gavin Williamson. In the letter, Mattis expressed concern that spending cuts were harming London's defensive capabilities. 

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