James M. Talent: “Senator Lieberman and I are offering an amendment that we believe is crucial to providing our Armed Forces with the air…”

“Senator Lieberman and I are offering an amendment that we believe is crucial to providing our Armed Forces with the air transport capabilities they need. The amendment has been cosponsored by Chairman Warner and Senators Stevens, Boxer, Feinstein, Cornyn, Chambliss, and others. In addition, we have worked closely with the chairman and Senator Levin and committee staff, and the amendment has been cleared on both sides. I am grateful to the managers of the bill for their work on this important legislation. The Defense Department's current intertheater airlift requirement was established by the Mobility Requirement Study, called MRS-05, which was released in December 2000. That study identified the airlift necessary to conduct high-priority missions in support of two major theater wars. That was the national military strategy at the time, to be able to conduct two major theater wars at the same time. Even back in 2001, recently retired TRANSCOM Commander, GEN John Handy, identified the Department's pre-September 11 intertheater airlift requirements as inadequate. He characterized that study, which was a pre-9/11 study, shortly after its release as a historical document, not of great value, because in his judgment it significantly underestimated the true airlift requirements of the Department even at that time. I will expand on this point in a few minutes.…”