The lead Republican on a House panel preparing to craft its version of the defense budget voiced concern recently about the Pentagon’s proposed changes to the Joint Cargo Aircraft (JCA) program, yet predicted few changes to the administration’s revamped Future Combat System (FCS) plan.
Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-Md.), the House Armed Services Air and Land Forces subcommittee’s ranking member, said yesterday afternoon he and subcommittee Chairman Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii) still had to discuss some changes they will seek to the Pentagon budget request during their panel’s markup June 12.
Yet Bartlett shared during an interview some proposals he would like tweaked in the fiscal year 2010 defense authorization bill, including the administration’s C27-J JCA plan to transfer the Army-Air Force program to the air service’s control and cut the buy from 78 to 38 aircraft.
Defense officials have told him at multiple recent hearings that JCA studies support buying 78 of the L-3 Communications [LLL]-Alenia North America aircraft, he noted.
“There’s never been a study that said they need less than 78, so the chairman, (Abercrombie), and I need to talk,” Bartlett said.
Asked if JCA changes will be recommended at Friday’s markup, Bartlett said: “I would hope so, the services hope so.”
The Pentagon’s proposal to rework the FCS modernization program and cancel its manned-ground-vehicle portion has merit, the congressman said.
“The Future Combat System, clearly that needed some restructuring; that was way behind schedule and way over budget,” Bartlett said. He added that, while he still had to discuss specifics with Abercrombie: “I suspect that where we are will not be too far from where the (Defense) Secretary (Robert Gates) was.”
Abercrombie also has spoken in favor of compelling the Pentagon to buy aerial-refueling tankers from both competitors vying for the long-delayed contract: Boeing [BA] and a Northrop Grumman [NOC]-European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. (EADS) team
Bartlett said such a tanker split buy “is not a terrible idea.”
He argued a high enough number of tankers is being bought to justify paying for maintaining two different planes that would result from a dual buy. And Bartlett pointed to another reason for buying two different tankers: if one is grounded because of mechanical flaws the other aircraft could still fly.
“There is an argument that it’d be nice to not have all your eggs in one basket,” he said.
It was not clear if Abercrombie will pursue the tanker split buy in his panel’s bill. The Hawaii congressman has indicated in recent months it is not a top priority of his.
Bartlett still keeps close track of the VH-71 presidential helicopter program and other matters under the purview of the House Armed Services Seapower subcommittee, on which he served as the ranking member until last year.
The Navy officially terminated the Lockheed Martin [LMT]-AgustaWestland–Bell Helicopter Textron [TXT] VH-71 effort on June 1.
Still, Bartlett said he is hopeful defense authorizers and appropriators will compel the Pentagon to revive the over-budget and delayed program; he wants to see it buy a total of 19 of the most-basic increment 1 helicopters for $6.8 billion under a fixed-price contract.
Bartlett is still a member of the Seapower panel, which will mark up its bill on Friday as well. He said he remains unhappy with the design of the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV) General Dynamics [GD] is developing for the Marine Corps. Bartlett and Seapower Chairman Gene Taylor (D-Miss.) for two years have said they want the vehicle redesigned to have a v-shaped bottom to deflect underbelly explosions, a rework the service maintains is impossible under the laws of physics. Bartlett said he is not satisfied with the Marine Corps’ plan for an EFV armor applique.
The full House Armed Services Committee (HASC) is slated to mark up its bill on June 16.