Bond fought to include the $2.5 billion for 10 additional C-17 cargo aircraft, a strategic airlift asset, in the defense spending bill.  This funding is critical to supplement the $2.2 billion Senators Bond, Feinstein, Boxer and others were able to secure in the Defense supplemental bill earlier this year that allowed the C-17 line to stay open. The additional cargo planes are critical to preserving America’s only large airlift line in production and aircraft capable of performing all airlift missions.  As U.S. forces continue to fight two wars overseas, U.S. military demands continue to grow. This funding will help ensure that American war fighters will have reliable and capable aircraft. The funding will also increase America’s ability to conduct humanitarian missions around the world.  In addition to military benefits, the C-17 will protect jobs in Missouri.  The extension of the production of this aircraft will safeguard 30,000 jobs across the country and 1,200 jobs in Missouri.  Despite the importance of the C-17 to our nation’s defense and jobs, the President tried to eliminate this critical program.

The Committee-passed bill approved over a $1 billion for 18 Super Hornets.  The President’s budget only requested 9 Super Hornets, but Bond fought to include an additional 9 planes for a total of 18 to address the military’s looming shortage of fighter aircraft.  Bond also helped to insert language in the bill expressing concerns about the delays in the delivery of new F-35 Joint Strike Fighters (JSF).  Unlike the JSF, The F/A-18 aircraft production line is a model program, which is combat tested and remains on-time and on-budget.  Currently, the Department of the Navy is facing a serious shortfall of aircraft variant fighter jets and the F/A-18 will help alleviate some of this problem. Nationwide, the Super Hornet supports more than 110,000 American jobs at 1,400 companies in 44 states. The annual economic impact of these jobs is over $4.6 billion. In Missouri, there are 103 F/A-18 suppliers (about 24,600 jobs) around the state that generate $964 million in revenue. In addition to the funds for 9 Super Hornets over the President’s request, the committee included language that encourages the Navy to pursue a multi-year contract.  Bond stressed it is critical that Congress succeed in mandating multi-year language – a third multi-year contract would prevent the Navy from having empty carrier decks, save hundreds of millions in taxpayer dollars and ensure the long-term security of the F/A-18 production line.