Earlier I stated that the production line wont be closed. The USAF needs more airlift capability and I dont think Congress wants the line shut down. Congress wants a new air mobility study.
http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2007/10/airforce_airliftstudy_10.19w/
Bill wants a study on airlift capabilities
By Erik Holmes - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Oct 19, 2007 15:56:33 EDT
Another year, another mobility study.
A bill introduced Friday in the House would require the Defense secretary to study alternatives for the size and make-up of the Air Force’s inter-theater airlift fleet and submit a report top Congress by February 2009.
The study would focus on the current and planned capabilities and costs of the C-5 and C-17 fleets, according to a press release issued by the bill’s sponsors, Rep. Ellen Tausche, D-Calif., and Rep. Mike Castle, R-Del.
“It is about time that we hold the Pentagon’s feet to the fire on this issue and require that a decision be made on the future of our airlift capability that is actually tied to real cost assessments and military requirements,” Tauscher said in the release.
“Airlift is critical on so many fronts, and in order to continue carrying out successful missions both at home and abroad we need to plan for the future and decide how to maximize our assets.”
Tauscher represents the district that is home to Travis Air Force Base, Calif., a C-17 base, and Castle represents the district that hosts Dover Air Force Base, Del., home to C-5s.
The bill mirrors an amendment attached to the Senate defense authorization bill in September.
The Air Force has faced criticism in Congress for not clearly articulating its mobility needs.
The service completed a mobility capability study in 2005, but the results have not been made public.
The bills calling for another study come at a time when a debate is raging within the Air Force and Congress about the wisdom of pursuing an expensive C-5 re-engining program rather than purchase more C-17s.
The C-5 program’s costs have spiked to the point that the Air Force will have to inform Congress – under a provision of the Nunn-McCurdy Act – that the program is more than 15 percent over budget.
Air Force spokeswoman Lt. Col. Barbara Carson said in September that the cost of the re-engining has grown to $146.7 million per aircraft, for a total program cost of $17.5 billion.