{"id":45600,"date":"2020-02-24T01:00:22","date_gmt":"2020-02-24T01:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2020\/02\/24\/convincing-congress-secretive-programs-could-prove-harmful-to-air-force-funding-plans\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T23:27:03","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T23:27:03","slug":"convincing-congress-secretive-programs-could-prove-harmful-to-air-force-funding-plans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2020\/02\/24\/convincing-congress-secretive-programs-could-prove-harmful-to-air-force-funding-plans\/","title":{"rendered":"Convincing Congress: Secretive programs could prove harmful to Air Force funding plans"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WASHINGTON \u2014 The words \u201cclassified program\u201d conjure up images of experimental planes, highly advanced super weapons and unidentified flying objects operating under cloak and dagger at Area 51. But as the U.S. Air Force gears up to defend its fiscal 2021 budget on Capitol Hill, lifting the veil of secrecy on some of these programs will be key to getting lawmakers on board with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/smr\/federal-budget\/2020\/02\/10\/sorry-sierra-nevada-corp-and-textron-the-us-air-force-isnt-buying-light-attack-planes\/\" target=\"_blank\">controversial retirements<\/a> of legacy aircraft, defense analysts said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In its FY21 budget proposal, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/smr\/federal-budget\/2020\/02\/10\/air-force-makes-reductions-to-b-1s-a-10s-global-hawk-drones-and-more-in-fy21-budget-request\/\" target=_blank>the Air Force asked to cut<\/a> 17 B-1 bombers, 44 A-10 jet aircraft, 24 Global Hawk Block 2 and 3 surveillance drones, as well as 13 KC-135 and 16 KC-10 tankers. It is also cutting the number of contractor-flown MQ-9 Reaper combat air patrols, and it will replace 24 C-130H airlifters with 19 C-130Js coming online.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those reductions net $21 billion in savings over the next five years, with about 40 percent of that spent on classified programs buried in the black budget, creating the initial appearance of capabilities disappearing without any kind of a replacement and no obvious boost to research and development funds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">That could create a challenge for the Air Force as it tries to get members of Congress and their staff on board, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Dave Goldfein acknowledged during an exclusive interview on Feb. 18 with Defense News.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cMost of what we\u2019re giving up is unclassified. On the minus column you\u2019re going to see things that are real, that are flying right now that are all legacy, real legacy capability. It\u2019s a real risk to combatant commanders today. What we\u2019re buying \u2014 not all but a lot of it \u2014 is in the classified realm,\u201d Goldfein said.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/smr\/federal-budget\/2020\/02\/12\/the-air-force-is-massively-scaling-back-a-major-upgrade-for-the-b-2-stealth-bomber\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/20191104_fronts01.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">The Air Force is massively scaling back a major upgrade for the B-2 stealth bomber<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The change will save the Air Force about $327.9 million in fiscal 2021.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAs we go forward with Congress, I think our biggest challenge, quite frankly, is we were able to talk up to the secret level and above inside the Department of Defense in most of our conversations. That\u2019s harder to do with Congress,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Air Force is trying to combat that by \u201cdoubling down\u201d on office calls with lawmakers and congressional staff to discuss the classified investments. Goldfein said the service has done \u201cwell over 20\u201d meetings with members of the congressional defense committees and is on track to brief every lawmaker willing to sit down for a classified briefing before public budget hearings start next month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Mackenzie Eaglen, a defense budget expert at the American Enterprise Institute, noted that such briefings are time-consuming and may not be of interest to most lawmakers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;The members that are going to take the time to go to a [secure room] and get read in and figure out what&#8217;s what \u2014 there are even some members of the armed services [that won&#8217;t do that]. It&#8217;s pretty limited who is going to have that kind of time,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2133\" height=\"896\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/24-25.png.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-83385\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/24-25.png.png 2133w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/24-25.png.png?resize=300,126 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/24-25.png.png?resize=768,323 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/24-25.png.png?resize=1024,430 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/24-25.png.png?resize=1536,645 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/24-25.png.png?resize=2048,860 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2133px) 100vw, 2133px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">In its FY21 budget proposal, the Air Force asked to cut 17 B-1 bombers, 44 A-10 jet aircraft, 24 Global Hawk Block 2 and 3 surveillance drones, as well as 13 KC-135 and 16 KC-10 tankers. (Airman 1st Class Christina Bennett; Staff. Sgt. Daniel Snider;\nStaff Sgt. Ramon A. Adelan; Staff Sgt. Bradley Tipton\/U.S. Air Force)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It will be important for the Air Force to publicly justify \u2014 at unclassified hearings and other venues \u2014 what its classified investments are going to enable, said Todd Harrison, a budget analyst with the Center for Strategic and International Studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHow does it contribute to implementation of the [National Defense Strategy]? How does it address vulnerabilities in the force? How does it create strategic challenges for our adversaries? If they can talk about that and then [be] more explicit with Congress about how the money is being used, I think that could help mitigate some of this,\u201d Harrison said. \u201cIf you can\u2019t talk about the new investment, the positive aspect for 40 percent of the cases, I think the Air Force is effectively going into this fight with one arm tied behind its back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">While the large investment in classified programs is a challenge, it is not insurmountable, said David Deptula, the dean of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies and a retired Air Force lieutenant general.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cBecause a good chunk is classified, that\u2019s a good thing. These are truly strategic advantages that we\u2019re investing in, and they\u2019re not items that you\u2019d want out there in the public space,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Goldfein is confident he will be able to convey to Congress the importance of retiring key aircraft at this point in time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAt least we can lay out the why,\u201d he said. \u201cIt&#8217;s going to be hard. Asking Congress to retire legacy aircraft is always hard. But I think we have a really positive story to tell, with the analysis behind it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Across the board \u2014 whether the Air Force has to defend cuts to the B-1, A-10, Global Hawk or tanker fleet \u2014 the argument comes down to fleet management, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019re putting on the table 17 B-1s, at least to this point,\u201d Goldfein said. \u201cMany of those 17 B-1s are on the ramp, but they were not flying. Then you do your business case on what it would take to actually get them back to a high enough readiness rate, and the business case actually doesn\u2019t justify it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cYou&#8217;ll see the same methodology we used for each of those weapons systems. How do you retire the oldest of each, refunnel that money into the remaining fleet so you can keep that fleet flying for longer?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But any skeptics in Congress will want to see hard data proving there are benefits to retiring some of these aircraft, or a plan to drive down risk, Harrison said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"6000\" height=\"3375\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/21budget_cropped.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-30367\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/21budget_cropped.jpg.jpg 6000w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/21budget_cropped.jpg.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/21budget_cropped.jpg.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/21budget_cropped.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,576 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/21budget_cropped.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,864 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/21budget_cropped.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1152 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 6000px) 100vw, 6000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">WASHINGTON, DC &#8211; FEBRUARY 06: Copies of US President Donald Trump&#8217;s proposed budget for the U.S. Government for the 2021 Fiscal Year are stacked on pallets after being printed at the Government Publishing Office ahead of its release next week on February 6, 2020 in Washington, DC. Once released, the budget will be debated in Congress before it becomes official. (Photo by Samuel Corum\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For instance, the Air Force is retiring its oldest, least capable B-1 bombers, but it will keep all associated maintainers and infrastructure, which cuts down on the savings. To make a case to Congress, the Air Force must make a strong argument on why that reduction could improve mission-capable rates, and the service must provide the statistics, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Regarding the KC-10 and KC-135 tanker reductions, Harrison said the Air Force must describe exactly what it will do to ameliorate a demand for aerial refueling that already exceeds what the service can provide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhat is the Air Force going to do over the next few years to mitigate the lack of tanker support? Is the Air Force going to go forward with some of the plans they\u2019ve previously had to do contracted tanking as an interim solution like the Navy has been doing?\u201d he wondered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And to justify the Global Hawk fleet, Harrison said, the Air Force may be called to defend why it is getting rid of those highly utilized assets instead of the aging inventory of U-2 spy planes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The biggest arguments in favor of keeping legacy aircraft will likely come from lawmakers in districts affected by retirements of legacy aircraft. It will be up to the Air Force to explain to those members what capabilities will come on board to replace it, or why these divestments need to take place even if there is no immediate replacement, Deptula said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe\u2019ll see what happens,\u201d he said. \u201cI think in some districts you\u2019ll see understanding and support. If you look at the bomber issue \u2026 with the promise of modernized B-21s that are coming on board, I think that there are some congressional districts and members who will go: \u2018Yeah, OK, we understand that logic.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lifting the veil of secrecy on some programs in the Air Force&#8217;s FY21 budget request could be the key to getting lawmakers on board with controversial retirements of legacy aircraft.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":83384,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":67,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[101,24,89,16,26,67],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3305],"class_list":["post-45600","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-home","category-middle-column","category-news","category-newsletters","category-your-air-force"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"A7OOCBJPOBDWTIFCHEMK2U5644","arc_canonical_url":"\/digital-show-dailies\/air-warfare-symposium\/2020\/02\/24\/convincing-congress-secretive-programs-could-prove-harmful-to-air-force-funding-plans\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented 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