The Bush Administration has decided to attempt to eliminate—for the second time—the alternate Joint Strike Fighter engine, the one being developed by the GE-Rolls Royce team. When questioned about it at the Pentagon budget briefing Monday afternoon, Vice Adm. Steve Stanley, the Joint Staff force structure chief, repeated last year’s argument that the cost outweighs the risk. It was that “risk factor” that got lawmakers riled up a year ago, when they held special hearings on the alternate engine issue. In the end, Congress kept the second engine but directed the Pentagon to get some independent analyses, but they are not due until March 15.
The Air Force has spent more than two years studying cancer risks to Airmen who work with the service's intercontinental ballistic missiles. Now lawmakers in Congress are placing fresh scrutiny on the issue and have prepared legislation that would direct the service to clean silos and launch facilities.