Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DC
The US Department of Defense (DoD) is likely to be well short of the number of replacement tactical aircraft and helicopters required to sustain force levels, even if its request for a $13.5 billion rise in its fiscal year 2001 budget is approved.
The Pentagon request was part of the government's overall spending plans submitted to Capitol Hill last week. It was the start of a process which is expected to see the US lawmakers heavily amend the budgets for 2001 before approving them. This, the final budget of the Clinton Administration is likely to attract fierce attention from Republicans and Democrats as they manoeuvre for political advantage before this year's Presidential and Congressional elections.
A major theme of the $291.1 billion DoD budget request is stemming the outflow of manpower, with a 3.7% pay increase and improved housing and medical benefits. The US Air Force is 10,300 personnel under strength and 84% of its rank and file must decide on re-enlistment by 2003/4.
The $60 billion-worth of planned equipment procurements includes the first 10 production Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptors for the USAF and 42 more Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornets for the US Navy. This is fewer than the 120-160 tactical aircraft the DoD says are needed next year to sustain the USAF, USN and Marine Corps.
No major improvement in numbers are expected before 2010-15 and the introduction of the Joint Strike Fighter.
Having ordered 10 more Lockheed Martin F-16C/Ds in FY2000, the USAF does not plan to fund any more before FY2003, when it has pencilled in six aircraft and seven each year in 2004 and 2005. It does not want any more Boeing F-15Es, and is having difficulty agreeing with Boeing on the $75 million asking price for the five fighters Congress added last year.
The USAF wants instead to spend $280 million on additional spares, including $63 million for F-16s. Another $2.8 billion is sought for modernisation, including upgraded General Electric F110 and Pratt & Whitney F100 engines for F-16s and F-15s and fitting the Rockwell B-1B with Raytheon ALE-50 towed decoys.
Included is over $95 million for an avionics upgrade and re-engining of the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy. The USAF has cut funding for the Boeing C-17, from 15 to 12, to bolster the F-22 programme and to advance by a year the initial procurement of two Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules. This will avoid a production shutdown at Lockheed Martin and a $600 million penalty in FY2002 to re-open the line, says the DoD. The USMC is to order another two KC-130Js. Boeing is also hit by the USAF's decision to cut $92 million from the 747-based airborne laser, pushing back the first firing by two years, to 2005.
Northrop Grumman fares better, with a $22.4 million request for long-lead funding for two RQ-4A Global Hawks, accelerating the high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned air vehicle programme. Money is also sought for a 15th E-8 Joint STARS and jammer upgrades for USN EA-6Bs.
Source: Flight International
