If Congress directed an extra $690.5 million to the US Air Force, it would restore the five Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II aircraft that it cut from its fiscal year 2017 budget plan. The US Marine Corps, meanwhile, would spend a $750 million windfall on two more F-35Bs and two more F-35Cs.
That is according to the US Defense Department's "unfunded priority" lists for fiscal year 2017, which were sent Congress this week for consideration. The lists, if supported by lawmakers, would essentially nullify sweeping cuts to US military aviation procurement proposed by the Pentagon in its 9 February budget submission.
The air force's request seeks an extra $48.3 million for 88 Lockheed F-16 modifications kits, which include active missile warning systems and digital replacements for the current analogue ALR-69 radar warning receiver. It also buys jam-resistant GPS systems that “significantly increases accuracy and reliability” and cyber protections.
The air force would also furnish eight more Lockheed C-130J Super Hercules if it had an extra $724 million to replace old H-models, cancelling out a planned cut.
It would also boost active-duty personnel numbers to 321,000 and invest $1.2 billion more in facilities sustainment and repair. The total request equals $2.85 billion, according to the service's list.
US Air Force
In terms of aviation, the army is seeking $316.7 million above its 2017 baseline budget submission to restore 12 Sikorsky UH-60Ms and five Boeing CH-47s that were cut from its plans.
A separate $796 million request satisfies recent National Commission on the Future of the Army (NCFA) recommendations by seeking five more Boeing AH-64 Apache gunships, 17 Airbus UH-72 Lakota light utility helicopters and 24 M-model Black Hawks, on top of the aforementioned dozen, plus “assured position navigation and timing enhancements” and unspecified H-47 Chinook upgrades.
The army also seeks more money to “replenish” its spare parts stock for the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-1C Gray Eagle.
US Marine Corps
The marines are seeking $1.7 billion more for aviation procurement, including two each of the Lockheed F-35B and F-35C ($750 million), two Bell Helicopter AH-1Zs ($57 million), two Boeing C-40s ($207.5 million), two Lockheed KC-130Js ($158 million), two Bell-Boeing MV-22s ($150 million) and one Beechcraft UC-12W ($32.6 million).
It has become commonplace for the military services to flag additional funding needs on top of their “baseline” budget requests for the upcoming fiscal year. The USAF request will likely be a topic of discussion at its leaderships' “state of the air force” briefing at the Pentagon on 7 March.
Lockheed Martin
Source: FlightGlobal.com
