When the Air Force threatened last year to cap production of Boeing’s C-17 airlifter, a major cash-cow, the company freaked out — and wasted no time blackmailing Congress with the threat of lost jobs. (C-17 production employs 25,000 people in many states.)
The result? Last month Congress tacked another 10 of the $200-million C-17s onto the program, for a grand total of 191. Combined with foreign sales to England (5), Australia (4), Canada (4) and NATO (3–4), this keeps the Long Beach, Calif., C-17 plant humming until 2009.
But, already, Boeing is begging for more USAF orders, with an eye to sustaining C-17 production until the company can secure civil or more foreign orders, as reported in Aerospace Daily:
The next opportunity to secure more C-17s will occur in the second FY ’07 supplemental, which is expected to be at least $40 billion if not more. Top defense officials are scheduled to finalize their request in November. Otherwise, industry representatives can try for more funds under regular FY ’08 budgetmaking, which will be hammered out between the White House and the Pentagon by the end of the year.
Lawmakers forcing airplanes onto the military is not a new phenomenon — nor is it always unwelcome. For decades, the Air Force has counted on Congressional add-ons to top off its Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules fleet. (Congress likes the C-130s because they keep a lot of people employed and because they’re good state-level assets.) But with the C-17, the Air Force seems genuinely reluctant to divert too much cash to further production, as it’s struggling to find money for the upcoming Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning, the new KC-X tanker and another long-range bomber.
But it’s not that the Air Force doesn’t need the C-17s. The fleet is too small as is, Aerospace Daily continues:
Onlookers suggest the Pentagon did not take into account the heightened need for airlift to support natural disasters, homeland security missions and perhaps of most concern, the Army’s Future Combat System deployments. The Army’s shift to a U.S.-based expeditionary force will allow it to use smaller vehicles and network-centric systems, but industry officials question whether the Pentagon has taken into account how this strategy will affect its need to have airlift at the ready to quickly react to situations around the globe.
It’s proof of the bleak budget picture that the Air Force is resisting airplanes it truly needs for other airplanes it needs even worse.
–David Axe
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Not to sound too much like a broken record… but isn’t it worth mentioning at least the role that a certain aircraft, whose development has gone catastrophically over budget, has played in creating this Air Force budget crunch at a time when the overall defense budget is at a record high? I’m thinking of something that starts with an “R” and ends with an “aptor”…
It is a widely know FACT that the USAF needs more C-17s, and less F-35s.
Sorry to be all nit-picky, but its the UK that has bought 5 C-17s, not England (lest our Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish brothers complain ;-)).
On that point, the foreign military sales account for, at most, 17 of 208 planes, according to these figures. Wouldn’t it be advisable for Boeing to try to push foreign sales more, especially to the western european militaries, that seriously lack heavy airlift? It seems embarrasing, as usual, us european types are so lacking in modern, vital, expeditionary military assets and have to come begging to the US for help – it’s not as though we can’t afford it or anything! (btw 3-4 for NATO? Should be at least three times that!)
The RAF was interested in the C17 because they needed to fill the gap until the european made airbus A400M was ready (which will replace europe’s C127s and the UK’s C130s).
Originally four C17s were being leased, but the brits liked them so much they bought them off and wanted one more. I think the RAF maybe a target worth exploring for this plane, only 25 A400s have been ordered so far, there may be room for a few more globemasters (and with the defense budget slated to go up rather than down this year…)
Not only the RAF cannot wait, the Dutch KLu (Royal Airforce) doesn’t have the patience to buy European either.
Strange, considering that air force deemed one C-130 enough for years. It was a great help in Afghanistan during the build-up and recently came home with its detachment, lauded by those in power. Now that it is gone, the Dutch take command of all of South Afghanistan,
This was funny too: When the big earthquake hit Marocco some years back, an MP asked in parliament, if the KLu could help not out with transport of humanitarian aid goods. MP Mat Herben, the greatest proponent there of buying into the JSF (pun intented), answered No; and that NGO’s should talk to the Maroccan government because they had (have) far more Herculeses.
The Dutch help keep Boeing going by leasing from NATO
Now I cherish the memory of my better friend who once help me and give me much more Silk road gold.
Characters have a variety of Tibia coins skills that will raise through training.