Navy and Marine Corps leaders told the House Tuesday they badly need more “metal on the flight lines” — not disputing an estimate by one lawmaker the services have a shortfall of about 100 strike fighter aircraft.
Top brass representing the service’s aviation programs asked the House Armed Services Committee to support more purchases of Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets and Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets after recent revelations that about half of Navy and Marine Corps aircraft are not ready to fly.
“As far as our budget, and what we ask for, we asked for some additional F-35s out there in the budget, that’s what I need to get. I need more metal on the flight lines,” said Lt. Gen. Jon Davis, the Marine Corps’ deputy commandant for aviation.
The testimony comes as Congress works on a delayed 2017 defense appropriations bill and a $30-billion Pentagon supplemental funding request — a potential increase of 36 F/A-18 Super Hornets, and six F-35 joint strike fighters.
Since 2013, the services have been hit by caps on defense spending, high operations and delays in the delivery of the F-35 that have left much of the fleet aging and unreliable.
The exact number of new aircraft needed to turn around might be difficult to pinpoint, according to the testimony.
“To start with, is it over 100?” said Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, chairman of the House Armed Service’s tactical air and land forces subcommittee.
The Navy and Marine Corps are using up aircraft faster than new ones can be purchased or older aircraft can be upgraded, said Rear Adm. Chip Miller, director of the Navy Air Warfare Division.
“So about 35-39 aircraft at the current rate we are flying our strike fighters is what we are consuming per year,” Miller said. “We are not replacing them at that rate.”
That rate has been continuing for several years, Miller said.
“Do you have to buy new airplanes to replace and get in front of that? If that is a solution set, then, yes, you could argue that 100 is the number” of the services’ strike fighter shortfall, he said.
