Sanctions and cyber espionage, such as the Flame and Stuxnet computer viruses, don’t seem to be deterring Iran from pursuing nuclear weapons, several outside policy experts told the House Armed Services Committee last week. Accordingly, preparing a military option is advisable, they said. “A peaceful, viable negotiated solution has always been, in our judgment, in the United States’ best interest,” said former Virginia Democrat Senator Chuck Robb, one of the witnesses at the June 20 hearing on understanding military options against Iran. He continued, “But the dual approach of diplomacy and sanctions simply have not proved to be enough. We need a third track—and that is credible and visible preparations for a military option.” Robb, now co-chair of the National Security Project task force at the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, D.C., said this could include strengthening Air Force capabilities across the region for an “effective strike, including expediting production and deployment of the Massive Ordnance Penetrator.” MOP is the Air Force’s new bunker buster. Robb said augmenting Israeli offensive and defensive capabilities by selling them KC-135 tankers and GBU-31 bunker busters also would help. (Robb’s prepared testimony)
Boeing received a $2.47 billion Air Force contract Nov. 25 for 15 more KC-46s, bringing to 183 the number of Pegasus tankers on contract to all customers, foreign and domestic. The new contract—for Lot 12 of the initially planned KC-46 buy—is to be completed by 2029.
