Fri, Apr 16, 2010
Say Further Delays Put Our War Fighters In Jeopardy
Twelve members of the National Defense Trust (NDT) sent a
letter to President Barack Obama Tuesday expressing concern over
the ongoing delays and political maneuvering preventing the Air
Force from awarding the contract to build the next generation of
aerial refueling tankers. The letter was signed by retired military
officers, leaders of think tanks focusing on national defense, and
a former US Senator. A copy of the letter was sent to every Member
of Congress.
The current fleet of refueling tankers is five decades old and
have been in service since the Korean War. Efforts to build new
planes that support military aircraft has been ongoing for nearly a
decade and the contracts have been canceled due to controversy and
scandal.
The latest Request for Proposal was released several months ago
with one of the bidders, the European Aeronautic Defence and Space
Company (EADS), withdrawing from the competition. However, after
pressure from EADS and the government of France, the Pentagon
extended the deadline for two months.
The National Defense Trust's members believe it is critical that
the delays, particularly those that are politically motivated,
cease, allowing the military to focus on procuring the planes
needed for a strong national defense. As a result of the most
recent delay in the process, NDT members have sent this letter to
Commander in Chief Obama and Members of Congress. The letter reads
in part:
"Delays often beget delays. Our war
fighters deserve new tankers delivered as quickly as possible, and
we see no valid reason to postpone the tanker acquisition process
any longer. We urge you to resist further efforts to stall the
long-overdue process of procuring and building the next fleet of
refueling tankers our men and women in uniform need and
deserve."
The National Defense Trust is a coalition of Americans dedicated
to a robust defense of the United States and our allies.
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