Projecting Power

The day before Defense Secretary Leon Panetta reveals details of the Defense Department's fiscal year 2013 budget proposal, a group of retired senior Air Force officials has written a letter to members of Congress urging the government to fund next-generation aircraft like the F-35 fighter and KC-46 tanker to support the new strategic guidance released earlier this month.

In the letter, dated Jan. 25 and signed by a distinguished group of retirees -- among them two former Air Force secretaries -- the Air Force Association writes that it supports President Obama's intention to shift the Defense Department's focus from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to a broader set of threats and challenges. To project power around the world, including those in anti-access/area-denial environments, the signees stress the need to invest in platforms for the future, among them the Air Force's next-generation bomber. The letter claims that major recapitalization efforts within the service have been deferred for the past 20 years in favor of near-term operational demands, a trend that should be reversed.

“In the near-term, this requires investment in programs like the KC-46, F-35, and Next Generation Bomber,” states the letter. “Over the long-term, we must not assume de facto preeminence when it comes to innovating and producing the next generation of systems. We must continue to invest in science and technology, research and development, and a robust industrial base. Decisions that we make today will govern the national security options available for decades into the future.”

AFA's letter was sent to Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) and Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, as well as to senior members of the other defense oversight committees in Congress.