Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) says that the Pentagon has ignored “warnings over the dramatic growth in the cost of military products.” To remedy this, Hunter’s House Armed Services Committee proposes that the Pentagon consider conducting a new competition for any program that significantly breaches its cost estimate. The panel’s version of the 2007 defense authorization bill would force the Pentagon to certify that it had “issued a competitive solicitation but found no promising solutions” other than to continue with the current program.
The Air Force displayed all the firepower it has amassed on Okinawa in an unusually diverse show of force this week. IIn a May 6 “Elephant Walk,” Kadena Air Base showcased 24 F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters, eight F-15E Strike Eagles; two U.S. Army Patriot anti-missile batteries near the runway; and…