US Navy techs are stripping parts from fighter jets and subs to keep other ones working

"For Super Hornets, maintainers who spoke with the GAO said they've been unsuccessful in getting data rights for radio frequency cables from a vendor for over a decade, and repairs for the cables are generally done on the vendor's schedule. The data rights for making or repairing the cable are the intellectual property of the vendor. To get more cables, Navy officials have considered reverse engineering the part to see if they could manufacture it or contractspares, but both options were too costly,"

"The two programs are part of five in the Defense Department reviewed by the US Government Accountability Office, a watchdog agency, that all largely face maintenance delays, a lack of spare parts, and increased costs due to a number of factors, including relying on sole source contracts. Of the five programs, F/A-18s and Virginia-class submarines both have parts that are difficult to obtain in time for repairs, meaning sailors have to take those parts from other assets."

Navy technicians are stripping spare parts from attack submarines and F/A-18 Super Hornet carrier jets to keep other platforms operational because of low inventories and long delays acquiring replacements. Five major defense programs face maintenance delays, scarce spare parts, sole-source contracting, and rising costs. Many critical components are controlled by original equipment manufacturers who retain technical data rights, preventing rapid third-party repair or in-house fabrication. Radio frequency cables for Super Hornets and certain submarine components are difficult to obtain, forcing cannibalization. Reverse engineering or contracting alternate suppliers often proves too costly or time-consuming. These constraints increase operational risk and maintenance backlogs.

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