Issues Debated At Senate Armed Services Airland Subcommittee Hearing

U.S. Air Force officials testifying before the Senate Armed Service Airland subcommittee said they would like to restore $700 million cut from the F-35 procurement program, and committee members said it might be prudent to restart production of the F-22.

Some members of the subcommittee seemed to be receptive to the idea of restoring funding for the Lightning II.

Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) said that delaying the F-35 acquisition could be detrimental to national security, according to a report appearing in Defense News. "We cannot afford to assume that the enemy will resemble the threats of recent wars, nor can we assume that future fights won’t require greater numbers of advanced aircraft,” Cotton, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Airland, said. “The current investment strategy is too risky and will prove to only be riskier in the near future. The eventual retirement of 438 F-15s in fleet, and their replacement by only 177 F-22s with eventual support from the F-35 is a serious gamble,” he said.

Some on the panel also said that the Congress should consider restarting production of the F-22. Senator James Inhofe (R-OK) said that there are currently only 187 operational F-22s available to the Air Force and "all we hear about is what a great job they're doing. I think we all know we don't have enough F-22s."

Lt. Gen. James “Mike” Holmes, the deputy chief of staff for strategic plans and requirements, said that the Air Force is already working on a 6th generation fighter that it hopes to develop much more quickly that the F-22 or F-35 programs. He said that the new fighter would likely incorporate much of the same technology as is in use on those two aircraft.

(Image from file)

FMI: www.af.mil