More C-27s?

The co-chairmen of the Senate National Guard Caucus believe that future National Guard budgets should fund more C-27 aircraft. In a July 7, 2010, letter to Air Force Secretary Michael Donley and Army Secretary John McHugh, Sens. Kit Bond (R-MO) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) state their support for the C-27 Joint Cargo Aircraft program in lieu of White House plans to reduce the number of airframes from 78 to 38, stating it is “cheaper to fly” than comparable intra-theater airlifters and can handle many different missions.

“We firmly believe that the C-27 is an excellent option for austere tactical airlift into rugged environments,” the letter states. “It is cheaper to fly than other intra-theater airlifters. The airframe seems ideal for the gamut of homeland defense and civil support missions that are central to the mission of the National Guard. We believe future budgets should increase the C-27 buy.”

The senators also air concerns over air mobility force structure, “particularly that of the Army,” due to the reduction in airframes and the possibility that the program would go from a joint Army-Air Force program to an Air Force-only program. "The reduction in the total C-27 program represents challenges both for the future of Department of Defense air mobility as well as personnel in the Army who have been trained to fly the airplanes,” the senators inquire.

The senators also ask about how the secretaries plan on integrating the reduced number of C-27s back into the fleet and issue their support for the C-27. They also question the DOD analysis that lead to the conclusion that the C-23, once regarded as obsolete, would be worth retaining in lieu of purchasing new C-27s.

The co-chairmen also ask about possible plans to retain personnel who were trained to support the C-27 mission.