By Emelie Rutherford
The dual-year war-supplemental bill House and Senate lawmakers are expected to address next week includes at least $42 billion for buying systems including F/A-18 Super Hornet strike aircraft and an array of tactical vehicles.
Aides said the version of the bill the Senate Appropriations Committee is expected to mark up next week nearly matches the version House leaders are trying to bring to the floor of their chamber. Both chambers are looking at the same rundown for the fiscal year 2008 portion of the bill: $42 billion for procurement and $1.7 billion for research, development, test and evaluation, they said. It will also include FY ’09 bridge funding.
As previously confirmed by congressional sources, the FY ’08 portion of the bill includes monies for 15 C-17 Globemaster airlifters, 18 C-130J aircraft, nine KC-130J tankers, and seven MC-130J special operations aircraft (Defense Daily, May 2).
The FY ’08 legislation also calls for buying 13 F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fighters for the Navy, three EA-18G Growlers, four MH-60 helicopters, 10 CH-47 heavy-lift helicopters, 18 MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aircraft, five CV-22 tilt-rotor aircraft for the Air Force, and two V-22 tilt-rotor aircraft for the Navy. It also would provide $313.9 million for wing- fatigue repairs to the P-3C Orion anti-submarine and reconnaissance airplane, a summary shows.
For vehicles and force protection, the FY ’08 war supplemental bill in its current form would provide $388.6 million for M1 Abrams tank upgrades, $2.3 billion for the Army’s Family of Heavy Tactical Vehicles, $1.6 billion for Humvees and force-protection modifications, and $793.6 million for the Army’s Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles. It would fully fund Stryker vehicle production and force-protection modifications, Bradley Fighting Vehicles sustainment and modifications, the Army’s request for Armored Security Vehicles, and the Army’s request for “Mine Protection Vehicles”–though no dollar figures are cited for these items in the summary.
The legislation also would provide $1.1 billion for Army radios, $257.4 million for Army tactical and small unmanned aerial systems, and $1.7 billion for the Bridge to Future Networks program.
The measure also includes $150 million for Special Operations Command to “accelerate fielding of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities for locating and tracking high value targets,” the summary says.