U.S. Representative Rob Wittman (R-VA), Chairman of the Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee, delivered the following opening remarks at a hearing on the Fiscal Year 2024 rotary wing aviation budget request.
Rep. Wittman's remarks as prepared for delivery:
Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished members of the subcommittee, and representatives from the Department of Defense, I want to welcome everyone to this pivotal hearing on the Fiscal Year 2024 budget request for the Army, Navy, and United States Marine Corps rotary-wing aviation programs. I look forward to discussing the progress and challenges of our rotary-wing communities and how our services are allocating resources to remain at the forefront of rotary innovation and improving the capabilities of our armed forces.
Our rotary-wing platforms play a vital role in our overall force posture, providing unparalleled flexibility and mobility to our warfighters, as well as critical support to humanitarian and disaster relief efforts around the world. These advanced platforms will ensure that our men and women in uniform have the most cutting-edge and reliable equipment to carry out their missions safely and effectively.
However, these modernization initiatives are not without their challenges. For example, as the Army continues its ambitious and aggressive Future Vertical Lift modernization effort—which aims to develop and field two major platforms simultaneously—we must make sure that they are responsibly using the unique acquisition authorities granted by Congress. I remain concerned about recent GAO reports indicating that the Army is failing to fully meet complete cost estimates, cost assessments, and businesses cases for the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA), Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA), and their associated tactical unmanned aircraft systems. With the fiscal year 2024 Future Vertical Lift request nearing two billion dollars, it is vital that the Army demonstrates that they are good stewards of the U.S. tax dollar and identify and fully complete this critical data to make well-informed decisions and set up these acquisition efforts for success.
Moreover, I remain deeply concerned that by the end of the fiscal year 2023, we will have spent two billion dollars on the FARA program, yet we still lack an Analysis of Alternatives (AoA)—a critical document that ensures major acquisition decisions are based on a thorough evaluation of options. Frankly, it is alarming that there is no AoA for FARA. As the Army considers alternatives and a projected timeframe that would deliver in the 2030s, it is hard for me to conceptualize a manned rotary wing reconnaissance aircraft when we are, even today, proliferating commercial unmanned rotary wing capabilities that could better support, at a more effective price point, Army's reconnaissance mission.
As for the Army's legacy platforms, I remain concerned with the Army's trepidation in choosing a path forward for the CH-47F Chinook and their lack of any real plan to keep the AH-64E Apache modernized. These platforms will be flying for the next few decades, so it is imperative that our heavy lift and attack fleets are modernized to remain relevant. With the Chinook and the Apache making up the lion's share of the work at 2 of the nation's 4 major rotorcraft sites, I am growing increasingly concerned about the future health of our rotorcraft industrial base. I look forward to hearing from our witnesses today on how they plan to steer us away from this incoming cliff.
When it comes to the Navy's rotary fleet, I remain encouraged by the progress of the service life extension of the Navy's MH-60s and look forward to learning how the Navy plans to proceed with its own future vertical lift needs. Naturally, there are some unique missions that any Navy future rotorcraft is going to need to accomplish, such as anti-submarine warfare, mine countermeasures, and surface warfare, but I see no reason why the Navy cannot take the lessons learned from the Army's efforts to fill overlapping requirements—such as ISR, targeting, and logistics support—to find a replacement to the MH-60s quicker.
As for the Marine Corps, I remain encouraged by the maturity of the Marine Corps' CH-53K heavy lift helicopter and was pleased to see the program recently enter full-rate production. This heavy-lift helicopter will significantly expand the operational capacity of our Marine Corps, enabling them to transport more cargo, troops, and equipment over greater distances and under challenging conditions. However, with a platform this size and this technologically advanced, we must keep a constant focus on cost to make sure this program is delivering at an appropriate price point.
As the Marine Corps continues down the path of Force Design 2030—which has involved significant cuts to its rotary fleet—I believe it is imperative that we make sure the theatre commanders are being fully consulted on all force reductions, so requirements do not go unfulfilled, nor is the burden unexpectedly placed on other services.
Finally, I believe we must continue to invest in unmanned solutions to augment our manned platforms across all the services. The integration of autonomous systems into our rotary-wing fleet will enhance mission capabilities while reducing risk to our personnel. By leveraging advances in machine learning and unmanned technologies, we can develop cost-effective, high-performance solutions that will be invaluable in intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and logistics support roles. I look forward to hearing from the services on their differing viewpoints on the role of unmanned platforms in meeting future rotorcraft requirements.
As we embark on this important discussion, I encourage each member of this subcommittee to engage in thoughtful and rigorous debate, bearing in mind the vital role these assets play in ensuring the safety and security of our nation and its allies. We owe it to our service members and the American people to ensure that the resources allocated to our rotary-wing programs are used effectively and efficiently.
I again thank our witnesses for their dedication and commitment to the defense of our great nation and for appearing before us today. I now yield to the Ranking Member from New Jersey, Mr. Norcross for his opening remarks.
