Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Wednesday cautioned lawmakers not to underestimate the Obama Administration’s resolve in halting development of the F136 engine for the F-35 strike fighter in Fiscal 2011. He also came out anew against Congress adding money for any more C-17s. “Let me be very clear. I will continue to strongly recommend that the President veto any legislation that sustains the continuation of the C-17 or the F-35 extra engine,” Gates told Senate defense appropriators. Last week, Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Mo.), House Armed Services Committee chairman, implied that the White House might not follow through on the veto threat over the F136 because the same defense legislation likely will also contain language enabling the repeal of the Pentagon’s don’t ask-don’t tell policy, which Obama favors. Gates countered this Wednesday, saying, “It would be a serious mistake to believe the President would accept these unneeded programs simply because the authorization and appropriations legislation includes other provisions important to him and his Administration.” (Gates prepared remarks)
The Air Force awarded a $13.08 billion contract to the Sierra Nevada Corporation on April 26 for its Survivable Airborne Operations Center aircraft, the successor to the service’s E-4B “Doomsday” plane. Like the E-4B, officially called the National Airborne Operations Center, the SAOC will be meant to withstand a nuclear attack and keep…