Bill wants a study on airlift capabilities

[unhappycamper]

Bill wants a study on airlift capabilities
By Erik Holmes - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Oct 22, 2007 6:32:55 EDT

Another year, another mobility study.

A bill introduced Friday in the House would require the Defense secretary to study alternatives for the size and make-up of the Air Force’s inter-theater airlift fleet and submit a report top Congress by February 2009.

The study would focus on the current and planned capabilities and costs of the C-5 and C-17 fleets, according to a press release issued by the bill’s sponsors, Rep. Ellen Tausche, D-Calif., and Rep. Mike Castle, R-Del.

“It is about time that we hold the Pentagon’s feet to the fire on this issue and require that a decision be made on the future of our airlift capability that is actually tied to real cost assessments and military requirements,” Tauscher said in the release.

“Airlift is critical on so many fronts, and in order to continue carrying out successful missions both at home and abroad we need to plan for the future and decide how to maximize our assets.”

Tauscher represents the district that is home to Travis Air Force Base, Calif., a C-17 base, and Castle represents the district that hosts Dover Air Force Base, Del., home to C-5s.


Rest of article at: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2007/10/airforce_airliftstudy_071019w/



uhc comment:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=259&topic_id=4580

~snip~

The Pentagon is required by law to notify Congress when costs on a major defense acquisition program increase by at least 15 percent. Under the so-called Nunn-McCurdy law, the Pentagon is required to seek approval by Congress for continued funding and to get certification by the Office of the Secretary of Defense, or else the program is terminated.