Double Up

Double Up: Rebecca Grant, dire

ctor of the Mitchell Institute for Airpower Studies, said yesterday that a simultaneous “dual buy” of two commercial tanker aircraft—now “on the table” in Congress—would be more affordable than the Defense Department suggests. Defense Secretary Robert Gates has been steadfastly opposed to the idea of buying new tankers from more than one supplier, calling it “bad public policy,” “bad acquisition policy,” and a “bad deal” for taxpayers. Last month, he even claimed that such an approach would hike tanker recapitalization costs by $7 billion to $14 billion in just the next five years. Grant, however, speaking in Arlington, Va., at the rollout of the Mitchell Institute’s new paper, The Tanker Imperative, sees it differently. A dual buy, she said, would allow for the retirement of cost-intensive KC-135s faster and avoid a massive re-skinning of that fleet circa 2018. “A prompt tanker buy,” she continued, “hedges against a KC-135 [fleet-grounding] failure.” Grant distinguished between a dual buy, one that would produce more tankers faster, and a “split buy,” in which two companies would each compete to build a smaller share of aircraft, calling the latter approach inherently inefficient and wasteful. A dual-build would enhance price competition and offers more options for replacement of other widebody types, such as AWACS or RC-135, she noted.

—John A. Tirpak

5/1/2009

Verbatim

Appreciative Host
"I know you're here during a difficult time. You're here through Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's. I promise you, we will find turkeys."
—Republic of Lithuania Chief of Defence Maj. Gen. Arvydas Pocius, expressing his thanks to airmen of the 493rd Fighter Squadron from RAF Lakenheath, Britain, who on Sept. 1, 2010, began a four-month stint with their F-15s in Lithuania to protect the airspace of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania under NATO's Baltic air policing mission.

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Family Momentum
"In many ways, this was what the Year of the Air Force Family was all about—connecting airmen and their families with the resources they need. I have confidence the Air Force will capitalize on this strong momentum in the years ahead by continuing to improve our family support programs and ensuring people know what resources are available."
—Suzie Schwartz, wife of USAF Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz, commenting on the accomplishments of the Year of the Air Force Family initiative that concluded in July, in a statement provided to the Daily Report, Aug. 22, 2010.