FAS

Air Force Aviation Investment, and More from CRS

12.15.15 | 2 min read | Text by Steven Aftergood

The U.S. Air Force is attempting to develop and procure multiple major aircraft systems at the same time, generating programmatic and budgetary uncertainty.

“The United States Air Force is in the midst of an ambitious aviation modernization program, driven primarily by the age of its current aircraft fleets,” a new report from the Congressional Research Service observes. “Four major programs are in procurement, with five more in research and development (R&D).”

“The need to replace several types of aircraft simultaneously poses challenges to future budgets, as the new programs compete with existing program commitments and normal program growth under a restricted service topline.” The CRS report examined the options for addressing these challenges. See The Air Force Aviation Investment Challenge, December 11, 2015.

Other new and updated CRS reports that have been issued in the past few days include these:

Coast Guard Polar Icebreaker Modernization: Background and Issues for Congress, updated December 14, 2015

Coast Guard Cutter Procurement: Background and Issues for Congress, updated December 14, 2015

Navy Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) Program: Background and Issues for Congress, updated December 11, 2015

Effect of Corinthian Colleges’ Closure on Student Financial Aid: Frequently Asked Questions, updated December 14, 2015

Medicaid Financing and Expenditures, updated December 14, 2015

Is the Penalty for Failing to Report Overseas Accounts (FBAR) Unconstitutional?, CRS Legal Sidebar, December 14, 2015

FDA Naturally Requests Public Comments on the Use of “Natural” on Food Labels, CRS Legal Sidebar, December 11, 2015

Cybersecurity: Legislation, Hearings, and Executive Branch Documents, updated December 10, 2015

Kuwait: Governance, Security, and U.S. Policy, updated December 11, 2015

The H-2B Visa and the Statutory Cap: In Brief, December 11, 2015

China-U.S. Trade Issues, updated December 13, 2015