F-22 Raptors Capped At 187, Includes F136 Engine
In a move that may produce a showdown with the White House,
House and Senate conferees have reached agreement on a $680.2
billion National Defense Authorization Bill for fiscal 2010 that
includes funding for the F136 alternate engine. President Obana has
threatened to veto the bill if that program is not scrapped.
The bill authorizes a 3.4 percent military pay increase and full
funding for the Defense Health Program, and it caps F-22 Raptor
production at 187 aircraft. For civilian workers, it ends the
National Security Personnel System. It includes a base budget of
$550.2 billion and $130 billion for overseas contingency
operations.
Congress released the conference report October 7th. The full
Senate and House must pass the conference report before the bill
goes to President Barack Obama for his signature.
The bill includes $560 million to continue development and
initial procurement of the alternate F136 engine for the F-35
Lightning II joint strike fighter. Defense Secretary Robert M.
Gates recommended that the funding be struck, arguing development
of the F135 engine - the main engine for the F-35 - is proceeding
well and that any money spent of the F136 would be wasteful. House
and Senate conferees still included the engine in the fiscal 2010
budget authorization. White House officials said it is up to the
president whether to veto the legislation over the inclusion.
The bill authorizes payment of hostile fire pay, imminent danger
pay, hazardous duty pay, assignment pay and skill incentive pay to
be prorated to reflect actual qualifying service performed during
the month.
The authorization bill is one of two bills needed for the
Defense Department to spend money - the other being the
appropriations bill, which is still in a Senate-House committee to
resolve differences between the two chambers' versions.
The authorization bill includes end strengths of 562,000 for the
Army,; 202,100 for the Marine Corps, 331,700 for the Air Force, and
328,000 for the Navy. The legislation authorizes an increase in
active-duty Army end-strength of 30,000 in fiscal 2011 and
2012.
The conference report repeals the authority for the National
Security Personnel System and requires that affected employees
transition to previously existing personnel systems. The
authorization will provide new personnel flexibilities that include
hiring, firing, assigning personnel and appraisals. The
authorization also allows the secretary to propose other personnel
flexibilities.