The President signed into law legislation that will address our military’s dangerous fighter aircraft shortage. The final Defense Authorization bill included a key provision U.S. Senator Kit Bond fought for that will protect production of the Super Hornet, which is critical to preventing the Navy from having empty carrier decks.
“Today workers in St. Louis and across the state have received a reprieve from the President’s decision to underfund the Super Hornet that threatened their jobs,” said Bond. “In addition to protecting Missouri workers, this multiyear provision is critical to protecting our military’s ability to take the fight to the enemy, under real threat by a growing fighter aircraft shortage.”
The conference report for the fiscal year 2010 National Defense Authorization Act signed into law today includes key language Bond fought for that encourages the military to enter into a multiyear procurement contract for F/A-18E/F and EA-18G aircraft and provides an additional $108 million in advance procurement funds. Bond worked to get the key provision included in the Senate bill, as did Congressman Todd Akin in the House of Representatives. The two lawmakers fought to keep the language in the final bill that today the President made law.
This multiyear language will help address our military’s fighter aircraft shortage, Bond emphasized. The President has slated the mainstay of the Navy – the Super Hornet – to be replaced with the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Unfortunately, according to the Navy, the F-35 will not be ready in time to keep pace with retiring aircraft, resulting in a Navy fighter shortfall of 243 aircraft within the next decade. This dangerous shortage amounts to 5 empty carrier decks without fighter aircraft, a real threat to our nation’s ability as a superpower.
Bond stressed that aircraft carriers are America’s primary means for projecting power and promoting stability throughout the world. It is dangerous to risk our ability to project U.S. power from aircraft carriers, particularly as basing rights and access to hot spots becomes more difficult. The multiyear language will allow the military to purchase additional Super Hornets – at a lower cost to taxpayers – to bridge the gap until the F-35 is available to the Navy.
The Senator pointed out that this language will also protect Super Hornet production, ultimately saving Missouri jobs. In Missouri, 4,000 workers at Boeing build the Super Hornet, in addition to the 24,600 workers at the 191 Super Hornet suppliers across the state. Because of the President’s decision to underfund the Super Hornet line without taking into account the gap between retiring the aircraft and the readiness of the Joint Strike Fighters, all of these jobs were at risk.
Also, the language signed into law today will save taxpayer dollars. According to a recent Secretary of Defense report, even a three year multiyear purchase will save half a billion dollars for the government and a five year multiyear will save over 10 percent and at least $850 million.
