More F/A-18E/Fs added to House bill for fighter shortfall risk mitigation

摘要

House Armed Services Committee majority aides said Friday the panel believes the Navy needs the 12 F/A-18E/Fs the committee intends to authorize for fiscal year 2022 to reduce risk during the service's strike fighter shortfall. Committee Chairman Adam Smith's (D-WA) mark of the FY-22 defense authorization bill, acquired by Inside Defense earlier this week, adds $970 million to the F/A-18E/F program for 12 jets. Despite statements from Navy leadership that the service does not want the F/A-18E/Fs, committee majority aides told reporters Friday the Navy needs the jets as the service has taken several steps that have exacerbated the strike fighter shortage in the past year. "Given that the Navy can't afford all fifth-gen, sixth-gen airplanes, and that the services are going to have to have a mix of capabilities to do both high end and steady state, it made sense to continue a hot production line and to address the Navy's ongoing strike fighter shortfall," one aide said.