WASHINGTON - Led by Chairman Mike Turner (R-OH) and the Ranking Member Loretta Sanchez (D-CA), the Committee on Armed Services Subcommittee for Tactical Air and Land Forces today released its proposals for the Fiscal Year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The Subcommittee will meet at 1:30 PM on Wednesday, April 20th, in Rayburn 2118. The markup will be webcast on the committee’s YouTube page. The Tactical Air & Land mark is available here: Subcommittee Mark.
The Tactical Air and Land Forces proposal works to ensure our military retains strength and agility with respect to air and land force modernization strategies, and provides the funding and authorization necessary to retain overmatch against current and future threats. Together with the Full Committee Mark, the Tactical Air and Land Forces mark recommends actions to address military service unfunded requirements to include critical munitions and aircraft survivability equipment. Finally, consistent with previous NDAA activity, the proposal continues to recognize that a vital industrial base at every level is critical to the long-term effectiveness and operational capability of the force.
Specifically, the mark:
- Authorizes multiyear procurement authorities for UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and AH-64 Apache attack helicopters to generate better cost savings for the taxpayer and provide the most modernized helicopters for the Active and Reserve components.
- Advances the development and procurement of lighter, stronger and more advanced personal protective equipment systems for all soldiers, while also ensuring women entering combat roles are fully and correctly equipped.
- Supports an accelerated and streamlined development acquisition strategy to recapitalize high demand, low-density JSTARS platforms.
- Continues to provide necessary oversight of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program with legislation requiring the GAO to review current sustainment strategies.
- Stresses the importance of rapidly developing and fielding needed aircraft survivability equipment for helicopters and tactical aircraft.
- Supports and encourages a more streamlined and accelerated approach to fielding vehicle active protection systems to better address emerging threats.
- Highlights the continued importance of force protection with legislation requiring policy guidance for thermal injury protection in military vehicles.
- Requires the Secretary of Defense to develop munition strategies for each of the Combatant Commands to better assess critical munition requirements and inventory shortfalls.
- Supports the National Commission on the Future of the Army’s (NCFA) recommendations in regards to the Army’s Aviation Restructure Initiative (ARI).
- Requires an assessment of Army modernization and capacity shortfalls, including ways to eliminate those shortfalls, as recommended by the NCFA.
Chairman Turner and Ranking Member Sanchez also recommend:
- Additional funding for UH-60M Blackhawks, LUH-72 Lakotas and AH-64E Apaches so that the National Guard can retain four Apache battalions.
- Funding increases for F-35 Joint Strike Fighters and F/A-18 aircraft in order to maintain air dominance and address strike fighter shortfalls.
- Additional funding for critical munitions to address shortfalls in war reserves and addresses Combatant Command requirements.
- Additional funding to address modernization shortfalls in National Guard and Reserve component equipment.
- Supporting the realignment of funds within the European Reassurance Initiative to allow the Army to procure the most modernized and upgraded versions of Abrams tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles, as requested by the Army.