Tactical Aircraft Programs: Hearing Before the Committee on National Security, U. S. House of RepresentativesCurt Weldon DIANE Publishing, 1998 - 177 pages Hearing on the DoD's tactical aircraft programs, primarily the F-22, the F/A-18E/F, and the joint strike fighter. Desert Storm showed that an effective tactical air power component of the military is fundamental for our national military strategy. In the past, billions of dollars were spent developing aircraft we didn't procure or an aircraft we procured in quantities too little to justify the developmental costs. DoD faces an annual procurement shortfall of $20 billion and a projected increase in infrastructure costs of $26 billion between 1997 and 2001. Testimony from: DoD; Joint Chiefs of Staff; CBO, and the GAO. Includes schedules, and cost charts for aircraft. |
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acquisition programs affordability air dominance Air Force airplanes analysis arsenal ship assessments attack aircraft average avionics billion bombers capabilities CBO's Chairman chart Cold War combat air power concept Congress Congressional Budget Office contractor current plans decision Defense Acquisition defense budget Department of Defense dollars E&MD estimates expected F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighter and attack fighter fleets fiscal fixed-wing aircraft flyaway costs force structure funding future GEREN goals going helicopters improved increase initial inventory investment issue JASSM JDAM Joint Strike Fighter JROC JSF Program KAMINSKI look Manufacturing Development Marine Corps milestone military missiles mission areas mission need modernization Navy operational percent PETE GEREN phase planes potential adversaries procurement production purchases RALSTON schedule Secretary of Defense SISISKY SPRATT STOVL strategy subcommittees tac air tactical air tactical aircraft tactical aviation teams testing Thank threat U.S. air U.S. forces WELDON
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Page 130 - ... components in common — engines, avionics, and many of the high cost structural components. This is different from past attempts at joint aircraft programs, which tried, unsuccessfully for the most part, to use one design to meet all Services' requirements. The Services are working together on a set of joint requirements. The contractors are conducting extensive studies to determine the appropriate level of commonality, and to identify where it makes sense to sacrifice commonality to meet unique...
Page 48 - Chairmen and Members of the Subcommittees: I am pleased to be here today to discuss the...
Page 109 - Defense agencies, and others as required to conduct continuous assessments within their respective domains, as directed by the JROC. The JWCA teams assess areas with capability deficiencies, unnecessary duplication, or exploitable technologies; as well as areas where we may prudently accept some risk. TACAIR recapitalization is one of the areas in which the JWCA process is heavily involved.
Page 133 - Although not previously designated as a major acquisition program, oversight of the JSF program has not been lacking. The first formal product of the requirements definition process was the Joint Initial Requirements Document, signed by all of the participating services and briefed to the Joint Requirements Oversight Council late last summer. The JROC endorsed the JSF process and family of aircraft strategy and emphasized ... "the great potential towards achieving an affordable solution to meet our...
Page 16 - SOURCE: Congressional Budget Office based on data from the Department of Defense.
Page 134 - Manufacturing Development (E&MD) phase of the program. This review involved the DAB principals, supported by the Cost Analysis Improvement Group (CAIG). Another review by the Deputy Secretary of Defense followed. This resulted in revised guidance to the Services on funding for the JSF program. The JSF Program is facilitating the Services' definition of their joint requirements, based on threat data supplied by the intelligence community.
Page 133 - Joint Operational Requirements Document (JORD) is anticipated in fiscal year 1999. The JAST/JSF program has undergone intense scrutiny within the Department. In the past year alone, the key principals from the Defense Acquisition Board (DAB) have conducted three major reviews of the program. In late August 1995, the USD(A&T), along with several DAB members reviewed the program and each of the contractor concepts, to include critical technologies and risk reduction plans. As a result of that review,...
Page 30 - ... operational. The Department of the Navy's fleet will remain relatively younger, reaching an average age of about 14 years around 2005. The average age will increase slightly until 2008 and then begin declining, when the Navy also receives deliveries of the Joint Strike Fighter. The Department of Defense uses the average age of its aircraft fleet as a measure of modernization and a proxy for obsolescence of large blocks of the fleet In the past, DoD officials have also argued that aging fleets...
Page 130 - ... Fiscal Year 1995 legislation merged the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Advanced Short Take-off and Vertical Landing (ASTOVL) program with the JSF Program. This action drew the United Kingdom (UK) Royal Navy into the program, extending a collaboration begun under the DARPA ASTOVL program. The UK is committing $200 million to the Concept Demonstration Phase of the JSF program in accordance with the terms of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in December 1995.
Page 126 - ... need to pursue the F/A-18E/F development program and recommended to the DAB entry into the formal acquisition process at Milestone II. The first E&MD model of the F/A-18 E/F made its initial flight on November 29, 1995. Three flight test aircraft were delivered to Patuxent River Naval Air Station on or ahead of schedule and are fully engaged in the flight test regime. To date, those three aircraft have completed over 100 test flights and flown over 168 hours. Over 84 percent through its engineering...