Congressional appropriations subcommittees have approved some $21 million for additional construction at Hickam AFB, Hawaii, to continue base construction to support the new C-17 strategic airlifter. Hickam received its first C-17 just a year ago. The money will go toward a new ramp and maintenance and supply facilities for the joint active duty and Air National Guard C-17 operation.
The emphasis on speed in the Pentagon’s newly unveiled slate of acquisition reforms may come with increased near-term cost increases, analysts say. But according to U.S. defense officials, the new weapons-buying construct provides the military with enough flexibility to prevent runaway budget overruns in major programs.
