Senate Panel Proposes Major F-35 Plus-Up

The Senate Armed Services Committee’s version of the fiscal 2021 defense policy bill, if passed, would be a big win for the F-35, MQ-9, X-58 and the U.S. Army’s UH-60 replacement.

The panel proposes purchasing 95 Joint Strike Fighters, which is an additional 16 jets above President Donald Trump’s budget request: 12 F-35As, two F-35Bs and two F-35Cs. The bill would authorize $9.1 billion for 60 F-35A conventional-takeoff-and-landing aircraft, 12 F-35B short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing jets, and 23 F-35C carrier variants. The bill would allow the U.S. Air Force to use, modify and operate the six Turkish F-35s that were accepted but never delivered because Turkey was ejected from the program.

However, the committee is unhappy with how the Pentagon is managing the redesign of the stealthy fighter’s Autonomic Logistics Information and believes there is a lack of strategy. The F-35 logistics system will be a major driver for future sustainment costs and the panel is focused on lowering the fifth-generation fighter’s operating support cost, a committee aide told reporters June 11.

The mark would require the U.S. Navy to create a fighter aircraft force structure acquisition strategy and submit a report on aircraft carrier air wing composition and carrier-based strike fighter squadrons. This is to help the service prepare for potential conflicts envisioned by the National Defense Strategy, according to an executive summary released June 11. The panel anticipates filing the bill the week of June 15.

In the realm of unmanned aircraft, the bill would add $165 million for the purchase of one additional MQ-1C aircraft to meet requirements and increases MQ-9 procurement, authorizing $170.6 million to prevent program termination without a replacement.

The mark would authorize an increase in funding of $128 million above Trump’s budget request to purchase additional XQ-58 aircraft and conduct relevant testing. The bill would also require a plan for an operational test and utility evaluation of the low-cost attributable aircraft technology system.

The panel would like to accelerate joint C-SUAS (counter small unmanned aircraft system) capabilities and encourages the Pentagon to expedite procurement and fielding of commercial solutions. The bill would direct the defense secretary to submit a classified report on integrating air and missile defense, counter-rocket, artillery and mortar, and counter-unmanned aircraft posture in U.S. Central Command. The defense secretary would be required to provide a plan for establishing a joint electronic warfare training range that protects sensitive technology and accelerates C-SUAS efforts, development and capabilities. 

The mark would also authorize $5 million over the president’s budget request for the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft to support ongoing development of future vertical-lift capabilities, according to the executive summary.

The committee’s version of the bill adjusts acquisition strategies for “poorly performing programs,” the document says. The bill would block procurement of aircraft for armed overwatch because the panel believes it is undetermined whether the Air Force has the skill or capacity to provide close air support to U.S. forces deployed operationally. The legislation also would direct an acquisition road map to better define current and future manned and unmanned intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft.

The bill would delay divestment of the KC-10 and KC-135 refueling tanker aircraft until KC-46 remote vision system fixes are implemented. Additionally, the bill would limit the divestment of F-15C aircraft in theater and require the Air Force to have no fewer than 386 available operational squadrons or equivalent units.

For munitions, the bill would authorize an increase of $35 million for an additional 10 Long-Range Anti Ship Missiles (LRASM) to address threats from China and shift $75 million from Joint Air-to-Surface-Stand-Off Missile production for additional LRASMs for the Air Force.