The 40-Year Plan

February 21, 2008— As we’ve reported before, the Air Force plan to replace its elderly KC-135 tanker fleet comprises three increments: KC-X, followed by Y and Z, with each representing about one-third of the overall buy of some 479 aircraft. The service expects to make a contract award announcement early next week for the KC-X portion, giving the total contract for 179 tankers to either Boeing or the Northrop Grumman-EADS team. The entire replacement program would extend to 2051 at the expected rate of purchase of only up to 18 aircraft per year.

Verbatim

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.