Maria Cantwell: “What is at hand is a bipartisan effort where the committee has recognized the glaring Achilles' heel in our Nation's…”

“What is at hand is a bipartisan effort where the committee has recognized the glaring Achilles' heel in our Nation's military preparedness. They developed a creative solution. We currently have an air fleet that is older than most of the pilots who fly them. With 546 air tankers in the fleet, the average age is 36 years, and the oldest plane is over 45. These planes were initially designed to have a 25-year lifespan. They are showing extreme wear and tear. My colleague from Kansas entered into the Record a letter that shows the military, while being open and flexible, thought this idea was a sound way to provide tankers. Obviously, the amount of wear and tear on the aging tanker fleet is causing a lot of problems and increased maintenance costs. Indeed, the Air Force is projecting a 42-percent increase--over $3 billion--in the next 30 years for maintenance in this area. Compounding the problem is the decreased availability in a time of increased demand.”