Spea
king to reporters about his forthcoming agenda as the head of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Carl Levin said he would not stint in unearthing contractual wrongdoings on Pentagon programs. The long-time Senator from Michigan has been a stalwart proponent of the military services, but he also has pushed for procurement reform, including supporting Arizona Republican Sen. John McCain’s push for a strict accounting of the Air Force’s tanker lease deal. Levin directed scathing remarks last year to then Pentagon Inspector General Joseph Schmitz for “critical gaps” in the IG’s accountability report of the tanker deal, saying they “raise serious questions about whether this report meets applicable requirements for the independence of Inspectors General.” (Read more in our September 2005 “The Tanker Blame Game.”)
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.