Contact: Josh Holly; 202.226.3988
Hunter Opening Statement for Hearing on Fiscal Year 2009
Budget Request for the Air Force
Washington D.C. – House Armed Services Committee Ranking Republican Duncan Hunter (R-CA) today released the following opening statement for the committee’s hearing on the Fiscal Year 2009 budget request for the Air Force:
“Thank you Mr. Chairman. I’d like to start out by saying thank you to our witnesses, Secretary Wynne and General Moseley, for their service to our nation and for being here with us today.
“Gentlemen, last year when we came together for the Air Force posture hearing, I brought up the fact that every year we hold a hearing on your budget and little, if any, progress is made in recapitalizing your force and improving your acquisition processes. If you recall, last year I read a portion of my opening statement from the Air Force Posture hearing we held in 2006. If you'll bear with me, I'd like to read that to you again.
“’The DOD budget legacy is one of missed procurement opportunities. This, as you point out in your statement, gives us the oldest fleet of aircraft in the history of the Air Force, with the fleet having been engaged in or supporting some level of combat for the past fifteen years. The aircraft fleet has been operating at utilization rates far beyond those planned. The consequence of age and high operational tempo is reflected in reduced readiness rates. It is to the Air Force’s credit that professional fleet management has achieved the safety record that it has.’
“Gentlemen, I believed that to be true when I said it in 2006, again last year and I believe it to be true today as well. The cost to maintain your aircraft continues to increase and your mission reliability rates continue to decrease. It is clear to me that many of your current readiness challenges are a result of missed procurement opportunities in the 1990's.
“According to the GAO, the Air Force identified the need for a fighter to replace its F-15 fleet in 1981. After more than two decades of technology development and prototyping, actual F-22 system development began in 2003. The F-22 was declared operationally capable in April 2006 - that's 25 years from the time you identified the requirement until it was declared to have achieved initial operational capability. We can also look at the Joint Strike Fighter, which will replace the legacy F-16 fleet. It began concept development in 1996 and is not forecast to be operationally capable until 2013.
“Here's our problem. We can not develop and field the complex weapons systems demanded by today's global security environment in one budget cycle or even under one administration. We can not pull an F-22 out of a hat if our planning factors and intelligence assessments prove wrong.
“Take the MRAP as an example. It is a relatively simple, armored wheeled vehicle for moving troops. It wasn't a new design - it evolved out of an existing design from the 1970’s. Even with full funding, multiple contractors and designation as the Department of Defense's top priority; it has taken us over a year to field 4,700 of the 15,000 vehicles that are required.
“What I'm trying to say is that we are living with readiness challenges in the Air Force because we failed to adequately fund and development airplanes in the 1990’s. And, the decisions we make today will impact the readiness and the capability of the Air Force in the next two decades.
“Gentlemen, it is clear that the budget in front of us does not meet your requirements. You sent this committee $18.7 billion in Unfunded Requirements for Fiscal Year 2009. Secretary Wynne, you have said that you are approximately $20 billion short each year for the next five. At the top of your list of requirements that are not met by the 2009 budget request is $183 million to maintain your B-52 fleet at levels necessary to meet national military strategy requirements. Next on the list is $1.1 billion for additional F-22’s. Add to that $385 million to buy back some of the personnel cuts you were forced to take last year, and $3.9 billion for C-17’s and we've got quite a bill here.
“Gentlemen, I understand how we got here and I understand that we will not fix these problems overnight. What I need to know from you is what we can do to assist you in getting this right.”
###