Nearly two-thirds of the US Navy’s fleet of Super Hornet and F/A-18 jet fighters are not airworthy. The aircraft are grounded awaiting parts or maintenance as part of a lack of funding for repairs that has left over half of the Navy’s aircraft on the ground.

Money problems have also led to a growing backlog of aircraft that need repairs, and for three years almost every carrier has taken longer than usual to refit, with some submarines out for four years or longer.