The United States can launch stealth bombers across continents, track missiles from space and deploy forces anywhere on the planet.

But as the nation approaches its 250th birthday next month, studies suggest a more basic question demands attention in Washington: can the military reliably fuel, sustain and connect those forces in a crisis?

From the skies to orbit, two new reports point to vulnerabilities in critical pillars of US power projection at a time of intensifying strategic competition with China.

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A report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) this month found that the air force’s aerial refuelling fleet consistently fell short of availability and mission-capability goals between 2019 and 2025.

The watchdog cited ageing aircraft, spare-part shortages, maintenance challenges, technical expertise gaps and delays fielding advanced tankers as key factors affecting readiness, while also highlighting frequent equipment failure.

“The percentage of aerial refuelling tankers that are available and mission capable has remained persistently below the standards that the [US] Air Force established for the fleet,” the report said.

The findings are critical because these tankers act as a bridge across the ocean. In a potential conflict in the Indo-Pacific, US fighter jets and bombers cannot fly the vast distances required to reach the theatre and return home without constantly refuelling mid-air. If the tanker bridge breaks down, American air power is effectively stranded.