We guess Air Force officials made their case about getting a few more C-17 airlifters to serve as replacements as the heavily used airlifters wear down, or, it could be that lawmakers just consider the Pentagon-imposed cap of 180 an arbitrary number. Either way, House appropriators sided with House and Senate authorizers by adding money to the 2007 defense bill to purchase more C-17s. (House appropriators added $789 million to replace three C-17s.) The effect, if passed by the House and Senate, would be to extend Boeing’s C-17 line beyond the expected 2008 shutdown date.
Air Force depots are not typically meant for quick repair jobs, but during Operation Epic Fury, the service moved some of its stateside heavy maintenance capability forward to fix battle-damaged aircraft closer to the fight.
