Press Releases

U.S. Representative Vicky Hartzler (R-MO), Ranking Member of the Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee, delivered the following opening statement at a hearing on the FY23 budget request for fix-wing tactical and training aircraft programs.

Rep. Hartzler's remarks as prepared for delivery:

Thank you Mr. Chairman.

I want to thank all of our witnesses for their dedicated service to this Nation, for your support to our servicemembers and their families, and for being here to provide testimony on the FY23 Defense budget request for fixed-wing tactical and training aircraft programs.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine over the past 2 months only further highlights how critical it is that our tactical fighter aircraft force possess the capabilities and capacity necessary to keep pace with, deter, and if necessary, defeat any adversary threat in both the near- and long-term.

I commend each of you for your tireless efforts to maintain, strengthen, and modernize the capability and lethality of your fighter aircraft fleets.

But once again the President's FY23 budget request fails to provide the necessary levels of funding to support you in these efforts. The Administration's defense topline falls dangerously short of adequately funding the modernization and equipping of our armed forces, ultimately forcing each service to make tough choices between future modernization programs and the sustainment of existing aging and aircraft fleets.

Recognizing the hard decisions and challenges imposed on all of you by the President's proposed budget topline, I look forward to working together to determine what is the right balance to prioritize and fund both current operational and tactical readiness and modernization investments required for future capabilities. Both are imperative to our national security.

To this end, I expect our witnesses to lay out the steps they are taking and explain the funding required to ensure that our current and existing tactical aircraft fleets remain the most lethal and capable in the world, ready to fly and fight today if called upon to do so.

Understanding that modernization and the development of newer capabilities are critical for our future defense posture, I believe it is equally important to ensure that our fighter aircraft and the pilots that fly them are capable and ready to deter and defeat our adversaries today and in the near-term.

We know that our adversaries are rapidly investing in and maximizing their tactical aircraft capabilities, and are currently posing a threat to global security and stability.

Just 23 years ago, China only had approximately 175 aircraft. According to open source reports, China's air force and navy now field roughly 2800 aircraft, with approximately 2300 of them combat-coded aircraft, making them the largest aviation force within the Pacific region, and the third largest aviation force in the world.

Last year, China announced its annual military budget would increase by 6.8 percent. According to DOD, China's military spending is actually much higher than reported because China omits several major categories from its official budget.

Meanwhile, the budget proposed from the Air Force cuts 400 tactical aircraft over the FYDP, and the Navy will continue to have a strike fighter shortfall through fiscal year 2031.

With China on a determined path to match and surpass the capabilities and capacity of Western air forces, sacrificing operational readiness and accepting exceptional near-term risk for future, longer-term modernization development is unfortunately no longer a luxury that the United States possesses.

The large number of proposed near-term aircraft divestments coupled with decreased procurement numbers in both the Air Force and Navy budget proposals and FYDP raise concerns that the Services are being forced to use their tactical aircraft fleets as bill payers for other modernization priorities.

Thus, from a strategic and operational risk management perspective, I expect the witnesses to provide a candid assessment of how their future modernization, procurement, and fleet restructuring plans are impacting the readiness of existing tactical aircraft capabilities and capacity.

This committee requires a full assessment and understanding of the risks and vulnerabilities, specifically in terms of potential aircraft shortfalls, gaps in capabilities, industrial base impacts, and future costs, each of the military services is taking on within its existing tactical air programs under the President's proposed budget restraints.

This information is critical as we review the military services' plans for divestments, decreasing fleet sizes, squadron relocations, and significant unfunded priority requests, and make decisions for this year's National Defense Authorization Act.