The powerful chairman of the House Appropriations Committee’s defense panel, Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), continues to sound a warning bell that defense spending cuts must come and, according to a Government Executive report, suggests that the now rosy recruiting environment could do without enlistment bonuses created when enlistment numbers were sagging. Speaking Dec. 10 at the Center for American Progress, Murtha said, “If we draw down [forces in Iraq], we ought to be able to get rid of the bonuses.” That’s not all on his scope, though, since Murtha also wants to “figure out a way to fix the acquisition process” and says “the [emergency war] supplements have got to go.”
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.
