As part of the 2007 defense authorization, Congress included $767 million for the Transformational Satellite program, about $100 million less than the Administration requested. Lawmakers cited “unexecutable growth in the program budget” as the culprit, saying that the Government Accountability Office “questions whether the contractors associated with the space segment of the TSAT program will be able to increase development activities” to the level of the Administration request. However, lawmakers said they remain “fully supportive of the restructured TSAT program.”
As Air Force leaders consider concepts of operations for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, sustainment in the field—and easing that support by using standard parts and limiting variants—should be a key consideration, according to a new study from AFA's Mitchell Institute of Aerospace Studies.