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Aviation History
2000
2000 - 0346.PDF
US BUDQST DoD perpetuates tactical shortfall PAUL LEWIS/WASHINGTON DC THE US DEPARTMENT of Defense (DoD) is likely to be well short of the number of replacement tactical aircraft and helicopters required to sustain force levels, even if its request for a Si3.5 billion rise in its fiscal year 2001 budget is approved. The Pentagon request was part of the government's overall spend ing plans submitted to Capitol Hill last week. It was the start of a process which is expected to see the US lawmakers heavily amend the budgets for 2001 before approving diem. This, the final budget of the Clinton Administration is likely to attract fierce attention from Re publicans and Democrats as they manoeuvre for political advantage before this year's Presidential and Congressional elections. Amajor theme of the S291.1 bil lion DoD budget request is stem ming the outflow of manpower, with a 3.7% pay increase and improved housing and medical benefits. The US Air Force is 10,300 personnel under strength and 84% of its rank and file must decide on re-enlistment by 2003/4. The S60 billion-worth of planned equipment procurements includes the first 10 production Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 Raptors for the USAF and 42 more Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornets for the US Navy. This is fewer than the 120-160 tactical aircraft the DoD says are needed next year to sustain the USAF, USN and Marine Corps. No major improvement in num bers are expected before 2010-15 and the introduction of the Joint Strike Fighter. Having ordered 10 more Lock heed Martin F-16C/Ds in FY2000, the USAF does not plan to fund any more before FY2003, when it has pencilled in six aircraft and seven each year in 2004 and 2005. It does not want any more Boeing F-15Es, and is having difficulty agreeing with Boeing on the $75 million asking price for the five fighters Congress added last year. The USAF wants instead to spend S280 million on additional spares, including S63 million for F-16s. Another S2.8 billion is sought for modernisation, includ ing upgraded General Electric Ff 10 and Pratt & Whitney F100 engines for F-16s and F-15s and fitting the Rockwell B-1B with Raytheon ALE-50 towed decoys. Included is over $95 million for an avionics upgrade and re-engin- ing of the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy. The USAF has cut funding for the BoeingC-l 7, from 15 to 12, to bol ster the F-22 programme and to advance by a year the initial pro curement of two Lockheed Martin C-l 30J Hercules. This will avoid a production shutdown at Lockheed .Martin and a S600 million penalty in FY2002 to re-open the line, says the DoD. The USMC is to order another two KC-130Js. Boeing is also hit by the USAF's decision to cut $92 million from the 747-based airborne laser, pushing back the first firing by two years, to 2005. Northrop Grumman fares bet ter, with a $22.4 million request for long-lead funding for two RQ-4A Global Hawks, accelerating die high-altitude, long-endurance un manned air vehicle programme. xMoney is also sought for a 15th E-8 Joint STARS and jammer upgrades forUSNEA-6Bs. • The procurement of the first 10 production F-22s is included in the USA's FY2001 budget DoT earmarks $11 billion for FAA from record $55 billion allocation THE US Administration has earmarked a record $55 bil lion for US Department of Transportation (DoT) spending in fiscal year 2001, nearly $5 billion higher than the figure finally- agreed for the current year. The US Federal Aviation Administration's share of the request is $11 billion, including $6.6 billion tor operations, nearly $700 million above FY2000, and $2.5 billion for facilities and equip ment. Research and development funding requests have risen to $ 184 million. The remainder of the bud get is split between a number of agencies including the National Transportation Safety Board and the Coast Guard. The request for facilities and equipment related to the FAA would boost current spending by $450 million. Included among die budget requests is Si 11 million for implementation of the Wide Area Augmentation System, while the Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System would receive $ 190 million. The US aviation agency will continue implementation of Free Flight Phase I and begin Free Flight Phase II, if the $221 million request for funds is approved by Capitol Hill. Q NASA focuses on Shuttle heir AFIVE-YEAR, $6 billion pro gramme to develop technolo gy for a Space Shuttle replacement is die centrepiece of NASAs fiscal year 2001 budget request-the first for seven years to seek an increase in funding for the agency. Also included in NASA's $ 14 bil lion budget request - up 3 % from last year - is initial funding for the Small Aircraft Transportation Sys tem programme to enable safe, efficient use of the USA's 5,000 small airports; and the Quiet Aircraft Technology programme to develop an air transport system that is free of noise constraints. The heart of the budget, howev er, is the second-generation re-usable launch vehicle (RLV) programme, which is intended to reduce the risks associated with developing a "safe, reliable and affordable" Shuttle replacement. Of the S6 billion NASA propos es spending over the next five years, $2.35 billion is earmarked for the demonstration of at least two com peting options of the second-gen eration RLV. Planning calls for responses by October, and multi ple contract awards next January. NASA plans a competitive launch services procurement in 2005. The winner will be developed com mercially and enter service along side the Shuttle in 2010. NASA will spend $2.1 billion by 2005 on upgrades to keep the Shuttle in ser vice until at least 2015. • 44 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 15 - 21 February 2000
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