The US Congress has made its first move to fashion a final US military spending bill for fiscal year 2008, launching a months-long debate. The House Armed Services Committee (HASC) on 2 May passed the first version of a military spending bill since the Department of Defense submitted its $481 billion request in February. The debate will continue in three other committees - the Senate Armed Services Committee, as well as the House and Senate appropriations panels - before a final budget package can be approved in the fourth quarter.
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Boeing has warned that its C-17 line could begin to close by June if no new orders materialise |
Under the HASC version, $2.4 billion would be added to the budget to buy an additional 10 Boeing C-17s, while the funding account for the air force's top acquisition priority - the KC-X tanker programme - would be reduced by an undisclosed amount. Boeing has warned the C-17 production line could start shutting down by June without 15 new orders.
The army's troubled armed reconnaissance helicopter programme would be cancelled if the House panel's recommendations are adopted by House and Senate appropriators. The HASC cites recent struggles by ARH-70A manufacturer Bell, including the crash of a test aircraft and a 100% jump in cost per aircraft, to justify its cancellation. The committee has also proposed deleting funding for the Northrop Grumman MQ-8B Fire Scout unmanned air system as part of a wider funding cut to the Boeing/SAIC Future Combat Systems programme.
In addition, funding for the air force/army Joint Cargo Aircraft project would be restricted until reports on intra-theatre airlift requirements are provided to the congressional defence committees.
The US Air Force would be permitted to pursue its goal to retire 30 Lockheed C-5A strategic transports, but at a slow rate in order to maintain a minimum total of 299 C-17s and C-5A/Bs in the fleet. If the C-5 fleet is reduced by 30 to 81, the air force would need to increase its purchase of C-17s from 180 to 218 to meet this legislative requirement.
Funding for the General Electric/Rolls-Royce F136 alternate engine for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter would be restored, although its survival would come at the cost of cancelling an order for one of 12 F-35s in FY08 and cutting research and development funding by $250 million.
The Boeing YAL-1 airborne laser programme would take a $400 million cut, as part of a $764 million overall reduction in the DoD's missile defence budget.
Source: Flight International
