USAF Rethinking C-130s; EELV Acquisition

Lockheed file photo of C-130

Mar 14, 2012 By Jen DiMascio  -AviationWeek.com

WASHINGTON - Under pressure from Gulf Coast state politicians, U.S. Air Force leadership confirmed they are reconsidering their plan to move C-130s to Montana from Texas. And the Air Force plans to wrap up its acquisition strategy for the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program this spring, in a way that allows for increased competition.

Air Force Secretary Michael Donley and Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz offered these updates to the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee during a March 14 hearing.

The Air Force proposal to move eight C-130 aircraft based at the 136th Airlift Wing in Fort Worth to Montana has faced massive pushback not only from the Texas delegation, but also by officials from Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi. The governors of all five states recently wrote to President Barack Obama, saying the Gulf Coast needs those Air National Guard aircraft for use in natural disasters that have hit the area hard in recent years.

During the hearing, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) laid into Schwartz and Donley both on strategic and cost grounds. Hutchison argues that moving the C-130s will leave the Air National Guard on the Gulf Coast without its own dedicated C-130s, which have been critical to responding to hurricanes and tornadoes. Plus, the Air Force will need to spend millions to upgrade Montana’s facilities to house the new aircraft there.

“Are you reconsidering? And if not why not?” she asked.

“Yes we are,” Schwartz replied.

The move of the C-130s in Texas is just one of many recommended changes to the Air National Guard. And two weeks ago, a council of governors proposed a number of changes to the Air Force’s budget plans, which are currently under consideration by the Air Force.

Schwartz pointed to the governors’ proposal, but he also reminded Hutchison that even though the move would leave the Guard without C-130s, a number of other C-130s are based with active-duty forces in the region. And last year’s defense authorization act enables the active-duty personnel to support the Guard. “Nonetheless, the short answer is yes,” Schwartz said. “It is certainly under consideration for the reasons you mentioned and others as well.”

Regarding the EELV acquisition, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said she is trying to ensure space launch contracts are competitively bid, because a “California company,” SpaceX, could save the government millions of dollars and would produce the rockets for launch in the U.S.

United Launch Alliance (ULA) has a $1.5 billion contract to build nine EELVs for national security missions in fiscal 2014.

“We have been concerned about the cost of the EELV and ULA’s performance,” Donley said. “We believe we’ve been paying more than we need to for space launch.”

But at the same time, the Air Force has had a “string of successful launches,” he said, and it wants to make sure any newcomers will be reliable. Donley says the Air Force is working with NASA and the National Reconnaissance Office to certify new companies by flying payloads of lesser value to prove their reliability.

In the meantime, the Air Force is working on a “should-cost review” of the EELV and plans to wrap up the program’s acquisition strategy by the spring.

Feinstein says SpaceX and other new companies are under the impression they will not be able to compete for the rest of the decade. “That’s tragic,” the senator declared, adding hat the company could save the government millions of dollars if it can compete.