CBO Testimony: Statement of Robert F. Hale, Assistant Director, National Security Division, Congressional Budget Office
Abstract
I appreciate the opportunity to testify today about the future of tactical fighter forces in the Air Force. The Department of Defense (DoD) plans to announce, perhaps as early as tomorrow, which of two teams of contractors will develop its newest top-of-the-line fighter aircraft, the Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF). The Congress will then decide whether the Advanced Tactical Fighter should enter full-scale development, the final stage before production. The Air Force is also beginning development of a Multirole Fighter, a relatively less capable plane that will eventually replace today's F-16 aircraft. These important decisions will shape the Air Force's stock of tactical fighters for decades to come. Moreover, the decisions must be made during a period of great uncertainty about the future of Soviet military plans as well as uncertainty about limits on our own future defense funding. They will also take place during a period when the number of U.S. tactical fighter forces will undergo major reductions. Although my testimony today addresses many issues pertaining to Air Force tactical fighters, it focuses primarily on affordability -- that is, the ability of the Air Force to meet its numerical needs for aircraft. The testimony reaches three broad conclusions: (1) Under the budget plan the Administration is proposing, the Air Force should be able to meet its numerical requirements for tactical aircraft through 1999; (2) However, a decision to pursue the Advanced Tactical Fighter makes it likely that, starting in the next decade, the Air Force will either fall short of aircraft or will require added funding for tactical aircraft; and (3) To minimize long-term problems, the Administration should consider buying aircraft other than the Advanced Tactical Fighter or buying fewer of the new fighter; perhaps most important, the Administration must limit the costs of the Multirole Fighter.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 22, 1991
- Accession Number
- ADA490831
Entities
People
- Robert F. Hale
Organizations
- Congressional Budget Office