AFL-CIO Endorses Awarding KC-X Contract To Boeing

October 13, 2009 by Matthew Potter · Comment
Filed under: Syndicated Industry News

At the AFL-CIO Now Blog there is a story about the ten presidents of the AFL-CIO state federations sending a letter to Defense Secretary Robert Gates endorsing giving the tanker contract to Boeing. The union heads state that this is not only in the best interests of U.S. national security but also as an industrial base issue.

One of the reasons the U.S. is where it is at with this contract is that there is only one domestic source for the aircraft, Boeing. The only other manufacturer that can be really considered is EADS. To achieve any level of competition they have to be included otherwise the U.S. should just go back to the sole source lease idea shot down in 2001 – 2003.

Tags: afl cio, defense secretary, domestic source, EADS, issue one, national security, robert gates, secretary robert, sole source, state federations

London calls for regular defense review

September 17, 2009 by admin · Comment
Filed under: Syndicated Industry News

LONDON, Sept. 17 (UPI) -- British Defense Secretary Bob Ainsworth has called for following the U.S. procedure of conducting regular defense reviews, at a time when Britain's own strategy update is long overdue.

Tags: bob ainsworth, defense secretary, london, upi

CAGW Advises Congress Not to Ground Presidential Chopper — Press Release

May 20, 2009 by Matthew Potter · Comment
Filed under: Business Line, Companies, Congress, Countries, Department of Defense, Events, Federal Budget Process, Finemeccanica, Italy, Lockheed Martin, Military Aviation, Proposal, Services, U.S. Navy, development program, production program

CAGW Advises Congress Not to Ground Presidential Chopper

WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW), the nation’s premier taxpayer watchdog organization, today expressed support for the continuation of the VH-71 Presidential Helicopter Program. President Obama included the program on the list of program terminations and reductions to the fiscal year (FY) 2010 budget, which he released on May 7, 2009 in a bid to whittle $17 billion out of his overall $3.6 trillion budget. The President had stated in February, 2009 that the helicopter he currently uses “seems perfectly adequate” and added, “I think it is an example of the procurement process gone amok. And we’re going to have to fix it.”

But even in his recommendation to terminate the program, Defense Secretary Robert Gates acknowledged that a new fleet of presidential helicopters is necessary due to the advanced age and technological limitations of the current fleet. In a post-9/11 world, there is broad consensus that the President should not be flying Vietnam-era technology.

“CAGW applauds the President’s desire to cut wasteful spending, but taxpayers are between a rock and a hard place on the helicopter issue,” said CAGW President Tom Schatz. “One of the most common axioms of aviation is that every takeoff is optional, but every landing is mandatory. The same could be said now about the $13 billion program to fund the new fleet of presidential helicopters.”

It has become increasingly clear that it won’t be as cost effective as it may have appeared to terminate the VH-71 program. More than $3 billion has already been invested in the program to cover the R&D and production costs of the first phase. Navy officials estimate that program termination and liability costs will be $555 million. Factoring in costs already incurred and shut-down fees, terminating the program now would leave taxpayers with nothing to show for nearly $4 billion – even though nine new aircraft have been produced that meet performance requirements. “This program is also another example of the rampant lack of realistic budgeting and absence of fiscal discipline in the Pentagon’s procurement process,” said Schatz.

More alarming, according to a recent memo prepared by House Armed Services Committee staff, the Navy has told Congress it will require billions of dollars to extend the life of the current fleet of presidential helicopters, which are already 35 years old, in order to keep them in operation for another decade until a new program can be devised. “In light of these facts,” said Schatz, “starting a do-over program from scratch would be even more costly than completing the current program – leaving the taxpayer to foot the bill twice rather than maximizing the current investment. Given the urgent security needs of the President and the massive amount of money that would be wasted should the Pentagon and the White House terminate the program at this late stage, the prudent course would be to move forward, take possession of the helicopters we have paid for, and find a responsible solution both for the taxpayer and the Office of the President.”

Citizens Against Government Waste is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to eliminating waste, fraud, abuse, and mismanagement in government.

Tags: axioms, cagw, citizens against government waste, defense secretary, helicopter program, helicopters, obama, president tom, presidential helicopter, robert gates, rock and a hard place, secretary robert, taxpayer watchdog, technological limitations, terminations, tom schatz, vh, washington business, watchdog organization, whittle

Oshkosh to Display Sandcat at International Armoured Vehicles

March 19, 2010 by Business Wire Defense: Contracts News · Comment
Filed under: Syndicated Industry News

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oshkosh Defence will showcase their vehicle armouring capabilities at International Armoured Vehicles taking place on the 1st to the 5th February, at the ExCel Centre, London. As calls across the globe for improved equipment to be provided to troops in Afghanistan, Oshkosh have received significant praise from the U.S Defense Secretary, Robert Gates, who claims that Oshkosh’s rapid build up of a new class of military vehicles designed for specifically for Afghanist