PAUL LEWIS / WASHINGTON DC
Congress approves largest hike in 20 years for FY2003
US Congress has approved $355.1 billion defence spending for fiscal year 2003, marking the largest hike in two decades. The bill includes $71.6 billion for procurement and $58.6 billion for research and development, providing full funding for the three main US fighter programmes.
Top of the US Air Force's funding list is $4.1 billion for 23 Lockheed Martin/Boeing F/A-22 Raptors and $627 million for system development and demonstration (SDD). The Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter receives the $3.5 billion requested for SDD, while the Boeing F/A-18E/F gets an additional $120 million, increasing this year's planned acquisition to 46.
Other top-ups include $586 million more to fully fund 15 Boeing C-17s, an additional $39 million to expand the Boeing CH-47F rebuild programme from 302 to 465 and an extra $115 million to increase Sikorsky UH-60 numbers to 19. There is also more cash for unmanned air vehicles, with $117 million earmarked for 22 General Atomics RQ-1B Predators and three more MQ-9A Predator Bs.
The budget contains approval for the multi-year procurement of 40 Lockheed Martin CC-130Js and 24 KC-130Js and provides the legal framework to move ahead with the lease of up to 100 Boeing 767 tankers. The bill, however, terminates a preplanned improvement programme for the Northrop Grumman BAT anti-armour weapon.
Notable line items include a $2 million provision for USAF pilots to evaluate the AgustaWestland EH101 with the UK and for the secretary of the air force to submit a report to Congress on the machine's suitability for combat search and rescue.
The US European Command has also been asked to report in 60 days on the refurbishment and re-engining of NATO's Boeing E-3 airborne early warning aircraft.
Source: Flight International
