Free Republic

The Air Force’s latest mobility study found the United States could not muster enough tankers to execute two of three likely scenarios, senior service officials told the House Armed Services air and land forces subcommittee today. One of the principal reasons for that is that the aging tanker fleet needs so much patchwork and loving care that almost 20 percent of the fleet is in a depot at any one time, Brig. Gen. Michelle Johnson testified. “In two of three scenarios we did not have sufficient tankers,” she said. For the big one, two nearly simultaneous large land campaigns, with...

EADS North America will pursue the tanker bid on its own, acting as prime and bringing in some 200 suppliers when it bids on the tanker. Board Chairman Ralph Crosby made it official at the National Press Club, saying the tone of debate about the program needed to calm down, but also taking a combative tone, saying: “It’s unambiguous we have the better tanker.” And Crosby reiterated the familiar war cry that only EADS has a working flying tanker ready to sell.. Then CEO Sean O’Keefe introduced representatives of the major partners in the program: GE; Eaton Aerospace; GKN; Westland...

House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman John Murtha, D-Pa., said Wednesday he would likely attach language to his panel's version of the fiscal 2010 Defense appropriations bill to encourage the Air Force to buy two types of aerial refueling tankers. Murtha has long advocated awarding the lucrative contract to the two aerospace rivals now vying for it, but he indicated he would stop short of requiring the Pentagon to pursue the split-buy strategy for the tankers. Under language he is drafting, Murtha said the decision ultimately would be up to the Pentagon, which has steadfastly opposed buying more than one type...

Three of the most senior House appropriators are planning to discuss exporting Lockheed Martin’s F-22 Raptor fighter jet to the Japanese government, which wants badly to buy the stealth plane. Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), the chairman of the House Appropriations Defense subcommittee, said Wednesday that he intends to meet in the coming days with Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey (D-Wis.) and Rep. Bill Young (Fla.), Murtha’s GOP counterpart on the Defense subcommittee, to discuss lifting the export ban on the F-22. The key player in that briefing will be Obey, who in 1998 wrote the legislation that bans the exports...

Friday, October 5, 2007 WASHINGTON -- Rep. Henry Waxman, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform purports to be concerned about transparency and accountability in government contracting. It sounds great, but from all indications, this is just a public relations gimmick to justify going after American companies in the midst of a war. This week, the liberal California congressman took Blackwater USA CEO Erik Prince to task over how the North Carolina-based company has carried out its State Department contracts in Iraq. The day after Prince testified, one of his civilian-piloted helicopters skillfully landed in a Baghdad...