Department of Defense Authorization for Appropriations for Fiscal Year 1997 and the Future Years Defense Program, Vol. 4

Download or read book Department of Defense Authorization for Appropriations for Fiscal Year 1997 and the Future Years Defense Program, Vol. 4 written by United States; Congress; Senat Services and published by . This book was released on 2015-08-05 with total page 168 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Excerpt from Department of Defense Authorization for Appropriations for Fiscal Year 1997 and the Future Years Defense Program, Vol. 4: Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment of the Committee on Science U. S. House of Representatives One Hundred Fourth Congress Second Session March 21, 1996 Just sitting here thinking back over a lifetime of my own, if I had to figure out. Senator Levin, one or two disappointments in my lifetime the first one was not achieving Navy gold wings. Unfortunately, World War II had ended, and they did not need youngsters in the pipeline anymore and we all went home. But ever since then I have been highly envious of those of you who sought as your professions aviation. It is a very challenging and high-risk occupation. I realize, and I think most realize, that every day you get in that cockpit there is a certain measure of personal risk. I want to thank each of you, and the tens of thousands like you wherever they are today, for having made this contribution to our Nation's security. The work of this committee, however, is to try and evaluate the various programs brought forth by the Commander-in-Chief, the President, the Secretary of Defense, and the Secretaries of the Air Force and Navy. Therein, again, I have had the privilege of having a good deal of experience through the years. It is particularly sad for me to address this morning the F-14 program, a program that was brought in while I served in the Department of the Navy, and have spent a good many hours in the rear seat of that aircraft in the early days. But it is a fine airplane, it served the country well, and I hope that we can put fixes in to allow it to continue that service to the Nation with such service life technically that we can get out of it. The Jast program - I was just sort of sitting here scratching a note or two - the challenges here are almost like going to the moon, and this time it is Tac Air. There is a high technical risk, there is a high financial risk, and there is a high political risk, all three of them wrapped up in this program. We are very anxious to hear from you this morning on that. General. So I will not take further time. We are anxious to hear from the witnesses, but I would like to turn to my distinguished colleague. We have been together now-we came together some 18 years ago to the United States Senate, and we have worked side by side and traveled the world together to some very challenging assignments. Who knows? With a little luck we might be sitting here a while longer. I am privileged to have you here as the ranking member of our subcommittee. [The prepared statement of Senator Warner follows: ] Prepared Statement by Senator John Warner Today's topic - Tactical Aviation - is one that has a record of magnificent achievements but also of terrible program failures, for I hope to address both side of this record in today's hearing. Several items arc of particular interest to me. Last year Senator Levin and I closely examined the issue of concurrence in the F-22 program, as well as program difficulties at critical design review. I look forward to receiving an update on this program. The joint advanced strike technology program is a promising start at rationalizing tactical aviation program. Unfortunately, it is one of many starts in recent years, not all of which got off the ground, sometimes at great cost. Indeed, many of those programs had less ambitious goals than JAST. Now, with the services answering their needs with separate programs for the present, we hear that the future under jar will be better, f hope so. However it will take more than hope to provide the Navy with a deep strike capability from its carriers, and to provide a vertical take off jet for the Marines, or to provide an K-16 replacement for the Air Force.