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Air/Land Subcommittee Chairman Neil Abercrombie Opening Statement Full Committee Mark-Up of FY09 NDAA (H.R. 5658)

May 14, 2008

"The Air and Land Forces Subcommittee includes a jurisdiction of $77 billion in Army and Air Force programs in Titles I and II.

"As was the case last year, this mark is focused on the readiness needs of the Army and Air Force. Building and maintaining the readiness of the Armed Forces requires many things to come together; most importantly, people, time to train, supplies, and the right equipment. The last of these elements, providing equipment, is the responsibility of this subcommittee.

"The mark first addresses the near-term imperative to provide all the equipment our soldiers and airmen need for their combat and domestic response needs. Doing so is a non-negotiable responsibility of this subcommittee, and takes precedence over all other considerations.

"The second issue this mark addresses is investing in the replenishment of equipment to ensure that the high demands placed on our military equipment today do not lead to a long-term readiness crisis.

"Investing in filling equipment shortfalls and repairing equipment damaged or consumed in combat is the most effective hedge this subcommittee can make against the long-term impact the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will have on equipment stocks.

"A final major issue the Chairman's mark deals with is the significant equipment needs of the Army National Guard and Army Reserve, whose leaders provided testimony to the subcommittee laying out their substantial requirements for additional equipment funding. This mark provides an additional $800 million for Army National Guard and Army Reserve equipment in response to their request for more resources.

"The mark fully funds the President's budget request for almost all major programs, and includes:

  • $2.2 billion for upgrading Abrams tanks, Bradley fighting vehicles, and Stryker vehicles;
  • $3.4 billion for Army tactical wheeled vehicles, including $947 million for Up-Armored Humvees;
  • $3.1 billion for Army helicopters and upgrades;
  • $631 million for Army precision-guided missiles and rockets;
  • $479 million for small arms of numerous types;
  • $3.0 billion for 20 F-22 Raptors;
  • $1.6 billion for 8 Air Force F-35 Joint Strike Fighters;
  • $570 million for 6 C-130s; and
  • An additional $526 million is authorized for a competitive engine program for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

    • "Finally, three programs within the subcommittee jurisdiction that will be addressed later today as part of Title XV are:

  • An additional $523 million for F-22 advance procurement for 20 aircraft in fiscal year 2010;
  • An additional $3.9 billion for 15 C-17 airlift aircraft; and
  • An additional $246 million for the counter-rocket, artillery, and mortar system.

    • "In addition to providing funds, this subcommittee is responsible for conducting aggressive oversight of Army and Air Force programs to ensure that the taxpayer's dollars are not going to waste and our troops get equipment that works as promised. This year's subcommittee proposed legislation does just that.

    "Specifically, this subcommittee's proposed legislation H.R. 5658 would:

  • Restrict obligation of procurement funding for the Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter until completion of limited user testing and certification that the helicopter is production-ready;
  • Allow retirement of C-5A aircraft upon the Air Force completing the appropriate analysis and congressional certification;
  • Allow retirement of additional KC-135E aircraft;
  • Repeal Fiscal Year 2004 statute regarding tanker leasing;
  • Restrict obligation of procurement funding for tactical radios until the Army provides an acquisition strategy for tactical radios;
  • Restrict obligation of research and development funding for the Warfighter Information Network-Tactical, until certain actions required by an earlier program review are completed;
  • Require designation of an executive agent for body armor and a report on related industrial base and technology development;
  • Require an audit of the Department of Defense's small arms requirements generation process and joint acquisition strategy;
  • Require the Secretary of Defense to establish a policy and an acquisition strategy for procurement of common payloads for various classes of manned and unmanned intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance vehicles;
  • Restrict obligation of funds for the EQ-36 radar system until the Army reports to Congress on future plans for the counter-rocket, artillery, and mortar program;
  • Require establishment of a separate program element and line item for the Sky Warrior Unmanned Aerial Vehicle; and
  • Require funding of all Joint Cargo Aircraft procurement and research and development end items through procurement and research and development appropriations.

    • "Finally, the subcommittee's recommendation includes five legislative provisions regarding the Future Combat Systems (FCS) program that would improve transparency and oversight mechanisms, provide additional detail to the FCS program review required by previous legislation, and ensure that the program's lead system integrator remains focused on research and development efforts.

    "While fully funding almost all major programs, the subcommittee, in order to reallocate funds to higher priority Army and Air Force needs, made adjustments in programs that are not performing, not following appropriate acquisition practices, or are simply lower priority programs when compared to the immediate needs of our troops.

    "Major program funding adjustments recommended for programs within the subcommittee's jurisdiction include: A reduction of $166 million in the Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter Program as no testing has been completed on a production representative aircraft, the production decision has been delayed until at least April of 2009 and the projected cost of the aircraft has doubled.

    "The subcommittee recommendation reduces the KC-X tanker program by $62 million, without prejudice to the program.

    "Finally, a reduction of $200 million, consisting of 5.5 percent of program funding, is recommended in the Future Combat Systems program to reduce concurrency of network and manned ground vehicle development and reduce program management costs. The mark also shifts $33 million within FCS funding from long-term portions of the program to near-term elements that have a chance of being fielded by 2011.

    "These adjustments are based on the need to shift funding to higher priority Army readiness needs and the fact that the FCS program, in addition to a history of delays and cost overruns, continues to operate in violation of many major Department of Defense acquisition policies, including the basic and long-standing policy requiring full and adequate testing of equipment before production begins.

    "Last year during consideration of the committee's 2008 bill, I said that the Army was in trouble. Unfortunately, the situation today is even worse. It has serious readiness problems and has massive unfunded bills for repairing equipment damaged in combat, adding more troops to its ranks, finishing its modular force conversion, and upgrading the reserve forces.

    "This situation requires action to prevent further decay of the Army's readiness, including a modest reduction in funding for FCS program elements not set to field until 2015 at the earliest, while providing full funding for all FCS program systems intended for fielding by 2011, at the earliest.

    "Our mark reflects an objective of balancing the health and capability of the current force with the needs of future capabilities. I believe that this mark funds the priorities of the Members on both sides and unfunded priorities of the Department of Defense and recommend adoption of this mark.

    "At an appropriate time, I will be offering an en bloc amendment that includes amendments that have been agreed to by both sides.

    "Before I yield back, I would like to thank the gentleman from New Jersey, Mr. Saxton, for his help and the help of his staff in putting this mark together."



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