(NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON - February 26, 2009: The U.S. general in charge of transportation needs for the U.S. military said on Wednesday that replacin
g the aging fleet of KC-135 aerial refueling tankers was his No. 1 modernization priority. (Photo/Image: Boeing C-17 proven platform for aerial tankers replacement)
Any further delays in replacing this aircraft would add significant risk to the U.S. military's ability to move troops and firepower rapidly to a combat zone, U.S. Gen. Duncan McNabb, commander of U.S. Transportation Command, told a joint hearing of the seapower and air and land forces subcommittees of the House Armed Services Committee.
The Pentagon last year canceled a contract with Northrop Grumman Corp, teamed with Europe's EADS, to begin building 179 replacement tankers -- a deal valued at $35 billion -- after government auditors upheld a protest filed by Boeing Co.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates, the sole holdover from President George W. Bush's cabinet, told Congress last month the Pentagon could restart the competition this spring, with a winner chosen in early 2010.
"My number one recapitalization priority is replacing the fleet of 415 Eisenhower-era KC-135s with a new platform to preserve a unique asymmetric advantage for our nation," McNabb said in written testimony prepared for the hearing.
He said it was imperative to move forward quickly with buying replacement aircraft that could refuel Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and coalition aircraft, particularly since some of the existing planes would be more than 80 years old by the time they were replaced.
"Further delays in replacing this aircraft will add significant risk to our ability to rapidly project combat power to support the nation and our allies," he said.
In addition to the important mission of refueling fighter jets and other aircraft, the new tankers could also play an important role in carrying cargo, he said.
"The ability to carry cargo and operate forward with defensive systems will be a game-changer when the aircraft is not needed as a tanker," McNabb told the committees.
McNabb's comments come at a time when the defense budget is under increasing pressure, and President Barack Obama has said he plans to cancel programs that are not performing well -- or are no longer needed.
Some analysts had speculated that the Pentagon could delay buying new tankers for some time to save money in the short run. McNabb's comments could be a sign that the Obama administration is committed to continuing to fund the program.
The administration is due to release an outline of its 2010 budget request on Thursday, but Pentagon officials have cautioned that they do not expect to release many details, if any, about specific programs or funding plans, until later.
McNabb said the Boeing C-17 transport plane had proven its worth, offering flexibility for key tactical requirements as well as its primary airlift role. But he sidestepped questions about the need for additional C-17s, saying that would depend on the outcome of a new Pentagon mobility study, as well as the cost of upgrading the larger C-5 transport planes.
He said low departure reliability and mission capable rates continued to plague the fleet of Lockheed C-5 transport planes, and modernization of all C-5s with avionics upgrades was essential. New engines and other reliability enhancements for the B and C models of the C-5 were needed to increase aircraft availability, reduce fuel consumption and improve performance. Grappling with massive cost overruns in a C-5 re-engining and modernization program, the Pentagon last year decided to modernize only 52 of the C-5s, instead of all 111. The remaining 59 are now due to receive only an avionics upgrade.
McNabb said he would work to modernize the C-5 fleet while "closely managing the costs." Any decrease in the cost of the C-5 modernizations would give the military additional options, he said. He also praised the performance of the Lockheed C-130 transport plane, but said the military needed the freedom to fully retire aging planes as new ones came on board.
He said congressional requirements that required long-term storage of the old planes were costly and prevented resale to other countries. It also hampered the military's ability to use the old planes for spare parts, he said.
Representative John Murtha, who heads the House Appropriations Committee's subcommittee on defense, continued to press for splitting the tanker contracts between Northrop and Boeing, despite opposition by Gates.
He said failure to split the deal, with the cheapest bid to get some 65 percent of the work, would result in another protest "that's going to bring it to a dead halt again."
"I'm going to convince Gates by getting all this information together and convincing him that it's cost effective. He doesn't think I can afford it," Murtha told News Reporter.
g the aging fleet of KC-135 aerial refueling tankers was his No. 1 modernization priority. (Photo/Image: Boeing C-17 proven platform for aerial tankers replacement)
Any further delays in replacing this aircraft would add significant risk to the U.S. military's ability to move troops and firepower rapidly to a combat zone, U.S. Gen. Duncan McNabb, commander of U.S. Transportation Command, told a joint hearing of the seapower and air and land forces subcommittees of the House Armed Services Committee.
The Pentagon last year canceled a contract with Northrop Grumman Corp, teamed with Europe's EADS, to begin building 179 replacement tankers -- a deal valued at $35 billion -- after government auditors upheld a protest filed by Boeing Co.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates, the sole holdover from President George W. Bush's cabinet, told Congress last month the Pentagon could restart the competition this spring, with a winner chosen in early 2010.
"My number one recapitalization priority is replacing the fleet of 415 Eisenhower-era KC-135s with a new platform to preserve a unique asymmetric advantage for our nation," McNabb said in written testimony prepared for the hearing.
He said it was imperative to move forward quickly with buying replacement aircraft that could refuel Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and coalition aircraft, particularly since some of the existing planes would be more than 80 years old by the time they were replaced.
"Further delays in replacing this aircraft will add significant risk to our ability to rapidly project combat power to support the nation and our allies," he said.
In addition to the important mission of refueling fighter jets and other aircraft, the new tankers could also play an important role in carrying cargo, he said.
"The ability to carry cargo and operate forward with defensive systems will be a game-changer when the aircraft is not needed as a tanker," McNabb told the committees.
McNabb's comments come at a time when the defense budget is under increasing pressure, and President Barack Obama has said he plans to cancel programs that are not performing well -- or are no longer needed.
Some analysts had speculated that the Pentagon could delay buying new tankers for some time to save money in the short run. McNabb's comments could be a sign that the Obama administration is committed to continuing to fund the program.
The administration is due to release an outline of its 2010 budget request on Thursday, but Pentagon officials have cautioned that they do not expect to release many details, if any, about specific programs or funding plans, until later.
McNabb said the Boeing C-17 transport plane had proven its worth, offering flexibility for key tactical requirements as well as its primary airlift role. But he sidestepped questions about the need for additional C-17s, saying that would depend on the outcome of a new Pentagon mobility study, as well as the cost of upgrading the larger C-5 transport planes.
He said low departure reliability and mission capable rates continued to plague the fleet of Lockheed C-5 transport planes, and modernization of all C-5s with avionics upgrades was essential. New engines and other reliability enhancements for the B and C models of the C-5 were needed to increase aircraft availability, reduce fuel consumption and improve performance. Grappling with massive cost overruns in a C-5 re-engining and modernization program, the Pentagon last year decided to modernize only 52 of the C-5s, instead of all 111. The remaining 59 are now due to receive only an avionics upgrade.
McNabb said he would work to modernize the C-5 fleet while "closely managing the costs." Any decrease in the cost of the C-5 modernizations would give the military additional options, he said. He also praised the performance of the Lockheed C-130 transport plane, but said the military needed the freedom to fully retire aging planes as new ones came on board.
He said congressional requirements that required long-term storage of the old planes were costly and prevented resale to other countries. It also hampered the military's ability to use the old planes for spare parts, he said.
Representative John Murtha, who heads the House Appropriations Committee's subcommittee on defense, continued to press for splitting the tanker contracts between Northrop and Boeing, despite opposition by Gates.
He said failure to split the deal, with the cheapest bid to get some 65 percent of the work, would result in another protest "that's going to bring it to a dead halt again."
"I'm going to convince Gates by getting all this information together and convincing him that it's cost effective. He doesn't think I can afford it," Murtha told News Reporter.
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