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WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today secured an amendment to the fiscal year 2007 National Defense Authorization Act, legislation currently being considered on the floor of the U.S. Senate that would grant the U.S. Air Force authority to enter into a 3 year multi-year procurement contract the F-22 “Raptor” aircraft.  Chambliss’ amendment was co-sponsored by 20 Senators and was approved by a vote of 70-28. 

 

The Department of Defense has already committed to funding the purchase of 60 additional F-22 aircraft; however, the bill authorizes the procurement process that can come in the form of a multi-year contract or yearly individual contracts. 

 

“This measure will save the taxpayer a quarter of a billion dollars by stabilizing the F-22 program in a way that allows the Air Force and the contractor to better manage risks, control costs, and deliver planes on-time to the warfighter,” said Chambliss.  “I have heard no one in Congress argue that our country does not need this airplane or that the funds the Defense Department has committed in its budget for the next 3 years on this program are not going to be wisely spent. 

 

“Almost every time I’m in an Armed Services Committee hearing, someone makes a point that we need to think of ways to do things better, cheaper, and with better acquisition processes in order to use the taxpayers’ resources more wisely.  That is exactly what my amendment does.  It will save almost a quarter of a billion dollars by allowing the Defense Department and the contractor to conduct business better, faster, and cheaper -- and that is good government,” Chambliss added.

 

A Congressionally mandated independent study of the F-22, conducted by the Institute of Defense Analyses (IDA), revealed that the aircraft meets all criteria required to enter into a multi-year contract agreement. The study, delivered over a month ago to both the House and Senate Armed Services committees, estimates that a multi-year contract for F-22 procurement will result in $250 million in savings for defense spending. 

 

These estimates are comparable to those obtained by previous multi-year contracts including those for the F-16 and F-18 aircraft.  The IDA also found the F-22 to have a stable funding profile, as noted in the most recent Defense Department Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) and fiscal year 2007 budget, and a stable design.  Any upgrades to the F-22 will not result in significant structural changes to the aircraft.  And in the event the Defense Department requires additional F-22 aircraft, the multi-year will result in even more savings than individual, year-to-year contracts. 

 

The F-22 is a first-of-a-kind multi-mission fighter aircraft that combines stealth, supercruise, advanced maneuverability and integrated avionics to make it the world's most capable combat aircraft.  The U.S. Air Force considers the F-22 Raptor its top priority for air dominance, operational access, homeland and cruise missile defense.   The Defense Department and independent analysis both indicate that our country needs this weapon system and that it is performing extremely well. 

 

 

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