The Senate Armed Services Committee markup of the 2008 defense authorization bill like the House version would keep an alternate engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Unlike their House counterparts, Senate authorizers did not reduce the JSF research and development account; instead they added $480 million to pay for the competitive engine program. On strategic airlift, the Senate committee’s markup does not follow the House version, which favors adding C-17s and retiring older C-5s. Senate authorizers did not provide funds for additional new C-17s and, apparently, want to keep the restriction preventing the Air Force from retiring C-5As. The markup summary notes support for “critical efforts to efficiently and effectively modernize the force, including C-5 Galaxy strategic airlift aircraft Reliability Enhancement Re-engining Program.” And, members of the Senate Armed Services Committee want to limit retirements of C-130E/H and KC-135E aircraft. Get ready for the conference round.
The Air Force kicked off one of its biggest exercises this week with the latest edition of Bamboo Eagle, featuring combined virtual and live training scenarios focused on test the command-and-control “nervous system” leaders need to operate on a complex joint battlefield spread over vast distances.
