Defense Watch

Defense Daily, Dec 8, 2008

The Latest Word On Trends And Developments In Aerospace And Defense

Washington Or Bust. Lawmakers are returning to Capitol Hill this week, though they aren't expected to hold any defense-related hearings or vote on Pentagon issues during the brief lame-duck session expected to be dominated by a proposed automaker bailout. Defense authorizers and appropriators including Reps. John Murtha (D-Pa.), Joe Sestak (D-Pa.), and Ellen Tauscher (D-Calif.) do have speaking gigs planned around Washington, and are likely to share their views on the incoming Obama-Gates Pentagon. Developments are possible on new congressional committee leadership assignments, including an initial recommendation for the new ranking Republican on HASC. While the Senate had definite plans as of last Friday for a lame-duck session this week, House aides at the time were hesitant to say the lower chamber undoubtedly would hold such a session.

56 For Stryker. Fifty-six House members warn Defense Secretary Robert Gates in a Dec. 1 letter they're not happy with Army plans to cut more than $2 billion in Abrams tank and Stryker vehicle funding in an unpublicized draft of the outgoing Bush administration's fiscal year 2010 Pentagon budget proposal. "The Army has placed tremendous investment in these valued programs and it is in the best interest of our Armed Services to continue (to) upgrade these vehicles until future programs present viable alternatives," they write, touting Abrams and Stryker successes in Iraq. They warn the cuts "would create production breaks and disruptions that would ripple through the combat vehicle industrial base." Signers of the letter--which follows a similar missive to Gates on Sept. 29 from HASC leaders--include Michigan Reps. Candice Miller (R) and Carolyn Kilpatrick (D).

Supp's Up. The Pentagon's proposal for the base FY '09 supplemental war- funding bill should be sent to Congress this month, Gates said last week, after confirming he'll keep his job next month under President-elect Barack Obama. "It's still being worked by (the Office of Management and Budget) and us," Gates said Dec. 2 about the supplemental. "It has not gone to the Hill. My hope would be that we could do that in the next couple of weeks for the '09 supplemental." War spending for the start of this fiscal year that began Oct. 1 is covered by "bridge" funding in the final FY '08 supplemental, worth a combined $162 billion, passed last June. Sources place the value of the DoD's base FY '09 supplemental pitch as high as $80 billion. The Pentagon's proposal is expected to include funding to buy four F-22 stealth fighters and support a new mine- proof vehicle program for Afghanistan.

F-22, Where Are You? Pentagon acquisition czar John Young is not happy with F-22 maker Lockheed Martin's request for a $147 million in "tail-up" costs, which it is certainly allowed to seek, if the Pentagon stops production of the fighter jet. Young, who wants the Obama administration to decide whether to build more F-22s, notes the $147 million tail-up cost "is expected to transfer to any future Lot 10 F-22 purchase." He adds: "In my view, the Air Force should not have negotiated a punitive tail-up provision which pressures OSD and Air Force leadership to purchase additional aircraft. My initial research indicates that tail-up provisions are an Air Force acquisition practice that I believe should be discontinued."

Sestak Stays. Rep. Joe Sestak (D-Pa.), the former three-star Navy admiral who was elected to a second House term last month, says he is not eyeing a 2010 Senate run against Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.)--as MSNBC anchor Chris Matthews reportedly is. "Congressman Sestak is honored to be rehired to represent the 7th Congressional District of Pennsylvania," Sestak's spokesman tells Roll Call. "His absolute focus at present is addressing the nation's pressing economic crisis, and bringing unprecedented accountability transparency and bi- partisanship to the 111th Congress...and to future Congresses in the House of Representatives."

Gates Isn't an (R). Gates confirmed to reporters last week he is not a registered Republican, something Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid happily told CNN as it became clear Gates would serve under a Democratic president. "I felt, when I was at CIA, that as a professional intelligence officer, like a military officer, I should be apolitical, and so I didn't register with a party," Gates said Dec. 2. "I consider myself a Republican. Until yesterday, all of my senior appointments have been under Republican presidents."

Murtha Out of Africa. House Appropriations Defense subcommittee Chairman John Murtha (D-Pa.) wants to shift money from shift money from the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) to the State Department for diplomatic efforts in Africa. "They should use diplomacy in Africa rather than military," Murtha is quoted as saying in a Stars and Stripes article, reported from Germany, which his office confirmed is correct. "We can't win these wars militarily....It has to be done diplomatically. So I've been trying to shift money and convince the people that make the decision on where the money goes that more money should go to the State Department for those kind of things." Murtha's panel helped reduce the Bush administration's AFRICOM funding request in FY '09.