By Ann Roosevelt
More than 130 members of the House wrote to Army Secretary John McHugh May 6 calling for the “prudent” continuation of Abrams tank production to preserve the industrial base.
Members said it would cost more to shut down, and then restart the production line than to move to limited production–which would also preserve the workforce producing the vehicles.
Meanwhile, House Armed Services Chairman Howard “Buck” McKeon (R-Calif.) said the Fiscal Year ’12 defense-authorization bill adds funding to the Pentagon budget request to prevent a temporary shutdown of the Abrams tank and Bradley Fighting Vehicle production lines (Defense Daily, May 6). “This is a no-brainer,” he said.
Members wrote McHugh: “We believe it prudent to continue limited production of M1A2 SEP tanks at 70 per year in order to bridge the production gap until the next generation of Abrams begins fielding.”
Those who actually work on the Abrams line are another concern, as are those companies that supply the component parts.
“The end of Abrams production would shut down the unique national asset that is the U.S. tank industrial base even with the expectation that later in the decade the same industrial base will be required to produce modernized Abram tanks and/or the Ground Combat Vehicle,” members wrote.
The mix of House Democrats and Republicans expressed specific concern that the Army plans to stop tank production for the first time since 1941 with other production gaps occurring during the fiscal year 2014-2016 on other “important” combat vehicles, such as the Bradley Fighting Vehicle and the Stryker Vehicles.
General Dynamics [GD] produces the Abrams tank and Stryker vehicles; BAE Systems makes the Bradley.
“These current plans could end up costing more in the long run and result in lost capacity and readiness,” members wrote.
The FY ’12 budget request would shut down Abrams production in 2013.
The members would like a response from McHugh.
The full HASC is set to work out a final version of the defense- policy bill starting May 11.