Noble Eagle Remains Vital Operation

March 20, 2008— There’s been no let up in the number of Operation Noble Eagle sorties generated by 1st Air Force/Air Forces Northern, and in fact the Air National Guard-led operation posted 59 more sortie in February than the previous month. Of the 190 fighter sorties, covering the Western and Eastern Air Defense Sectors, ANG and Air Force Reserve Command flew almost three-quarters. And the Air Reserve Components flew all but one of the 30 tanker sorties. Testifying earlier this month on the Fiscal 2009 budget request, NORAD/US Northern Command boss Air Force Gen. Victor Renuart said the ONE mission would remain “critical” for the foreseeable future to monitor the air threat, particularly with the aging-out of the systems monitoring our national airspace. He said it also would continue to have a “key role” in monitoring for low observables and cruise missiles.

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Too High a Risk?
"This issue is not about contractor 'A' or contractor 'B.' The issues is that we do not believe that it is prudent for up to 80 to 90 percent of the fighter fleet to be dependent on a single engine type, provided by one manufacturer. Being tied to one engine is too high an operational risk to take."
—Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii), explaining why his House Armed Services Air and Land Forces Subcommittee had added funds to the 2010 defense budget to cover continued development of an alternate engine for the F-35, committee markup session, June 16, 2009.

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You Betcha
"Your decision to terminate the acquisition of the C-17s, the F- 22s, the DDG-1000, and the Future Combat System vehicles—we have concerns that it may send the wrong signal to our friends and our potential aggressors that we are reducing our capability. It may also have a long-term impact on our defense industrial base. It may diminish our capacity to provide deterrents and reduce our strength that we provide to our allies. We hope that this is not the consequence, but some of us are concerned."
—Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), parting remarks to Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Adm. Michael Mullen, Joint Chiefs Chairman, during a Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing, June 9, 2009.