{"id":29556,"date":"2018-03-22T14:26:15","date_gmt":"2018-03-22T14:26:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2018\/03\/22\/congress-new-omnibus-bill-sets-up-hurdles-for-jstars-recap-cancellation\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T22:28:12","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T22:28:12","slug":"congress-new-omnibus-bill-sets-up-hurdles-for-jstars-recap-cancellation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2018\/03\/22\/congress-new-omnibus-bill-sets-up-hurdles-for-jstars-recap-cancellation\/","title":{"rendered":"Congress\u2019 new omnibus bill sets up hurdles for JSTARS recap cancellation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 In the newly released fiscal 2018 omnibus spending bill, Congress doesn\u2019t exactly force the Air Force to move forward with JSTARS recap, which the service wishes to cancel in fiscal 2019<\/a>. But lawmakers didn\u2019t make it easy for the service to walk away from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If passed by Congress, the language in the spending bill would prohibit the Air Force from using the $405 million designated for the Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System recapitalization program on any other effort, including the service\u2019s new Advanced Battle Management System<\/a> plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, it does offer up a back door: Congress might be willing to move the funding to another program if requested by the Air Force, and if the Defense Department submits a report about alternatives to JSTARS recap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDespite years of affirmations to Congress on the need to pursue JSTARS recapitalization and an ongoing source selection process, the Air Force asserts that the program will not be viable in future contested environments and lacks compelling improvements over legacy capabilities,\u201d the omnibus language states. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, \u201cthe proposal to cancel JSTARS recapitalization, pursue alternatives, and ensure no duplication between efforts requires careful consideration by Congress through the fiscal year 2019 budget process.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Air Force requested $417 million in fiscal 18 to continue development of the JSTARS recap, with a contract award to a single vendor \u2014 either Boeing<\/a>, Lockheed Martin<\/a> or Northrop Grumman \u2014 expected in calendar year 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But service leadership including Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson<\/a> and Chief of Staff Gen. Dave Goldfein grew concerned<\/a> that modified commercial planes would not be able to survive a battle with a peer competitor in a contested environment. By September, the service had acknowledged that it was seeking alternatives to the JSTARS recap program<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some lawmakers have argued<\/a> that the service should move forward with JSTARS recap and pursue a more disaggregated solution later, citing previous analysis supporting the effort and more than $265 million already spent on the recap program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the bill, the defense secretary must submit a report to congressional defense committees that includes the following information:<\/p>\n\n\n\n