CBO Testimony: Modernizing Tactical Aircraft

This testimony is the statement of Cindy Williams, Assistant Director, National Security Division, Congressional Budget Office. Ms. Williams appeared before the Subcommittees to discuss the Congressional Budget Offices CBOs analysis of tactical aircraft plans for the Department of Defense DoD. Last June, she testified before the Subcommittees on the same topic. At that time, she made the following points 1 U.S. fighter fleets now outmatch the fighter fleets of any potential adversary 2 DoD plans to purchase enough tactical aircraft to meet the inventory requirements of its fleets through 2020 3 DoDs plans assume that tactical aircraft will operate for long periods, and as a result, U.S. tactical aircraft fleets will reach unprecedented ages and 4 DoDs planned aircraft purchases for fighter fleets will be difficult to afford. Ms. Williams then suggested that the Department of Defense and the Congress might wish to consider policy alternatives to address those last two points. Last month, CBO released a study requested by Mr. Weldon and Mr. Spratt titled A Look at Tomorrows Tactical Air Forces. That study, available from CBO, provides a considerably more detailed look at tactical forces than can be covered in testimony. In addition to verifying the points CBO raised in their preliminary analysis, it lays out specific alternatives that illustrate the hard choices that DoD might have to make if current plans for tactical aviation prove to be unaffordable. After a short discussion of the other main points of CBOs study, Ms. Williams focuses her remarks on the issue of affordability and on alternatives that illustrate approaches to reducing spending.