Jumper: Strategic airlift capability ‘front burner issue’
by Master Sgt. Scott Elliott
Air Force Print News
2/11/2004 - WASHINGTON -- The Air Force’s senior officer assured members of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Feb. 10 that maintaining strategic airlift capability is one of the service’s top concerns.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. John P. Jumper met with lawmakers on Capitol Hill for the annual service chief’s posture testimony portion of the 2005 Department of Defense Authorization hearings.
Besides acquiring more C-17 Globemaster III aircraft, General Jumper told the committee Air Force officials are studying airlift requirements and looking into upgrading the C-5 Galaxy fleet.
The current mobility requirement is 54.5 million ton-miles per day, General Jumper said. The new study, due for completion in June 2005, will determine if that figure is still valid in today’s contingency-filled world.
“In order to get to that number, we are on the track to get (more) C-17s, plus re-engine and re-engineer C-5s,” he said. “Part of our work with the C-5s is to see how many … are capable of being modified -- do they have the service life left, have they been overworked, etc.”
The general’s comments were in response to Missouri Sen. James Talent’s concern over the Defense Department’s decision to contract foreign aircraft to help meet America’s airlift needs.
“I find it troubling that 125 times over the last three years, DOD has contracted with the Russians to use AN-124 aircraft … because we simply don’t have enough of our own,” Senator Talent said.
General Jumper said the study’s goal is to find the right combination of C-17s and modified C-5s to meet the nation’s strategic airlift requirement.
“The work is ongoing. It’s on the front burner,” he said. “The global mobility forces that are out there working every day are indeed the key to our ability to reach out around the world … I can assure you this is an area of concern for us and we’re going to keep pushing.” |
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