Obama: Cut C-17

By Christopher J. Castelli / February 1, 2010 at 5:00 AM

Though the White House's spending cap aimed at reducing the deficit does not apply to the Defense Department, President Obama noted this morning the Pentagon is not exempt from budget common sense or the need to look for savings. As an example, he cited the Air Force's C-17 program.

The Quadrennial Defense Review and DOD's fiscal year 2011 budget request call for terminating production of the Boeing planes. The cut will save $2.5 billion, Obama said. Congress has previously provided unrequested money for unnecessary C-17s, he lamented in a speech, adding, "It's waste, pure and simple."

Defense Secretary Robert Gates has previously argued the department needs no more C-17s. At a hearing last April, he told the Senate Appropriations Committee that the Air Force and U.S. Transportation Command believe the military has more than enough capacity for airlift over the next decade or so. He also cited a legislative prohibition on decommissioning C-5A cargo planes. “As we look at the capacity that we have with those 59 C-5As and we get more and more C-17s we just are continuing to build excess capacity,” Gates said.

Inside the Air Force recently reported the Air Force will ask Congress for permission to retire a number of its oldest C-5A aircraft when the service sends its FY-11 budget proposal to Capitol Hill.

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