With his spot on the super committee, Kyl is perhaps the most influential of the dwindling number of
hawkish Republicans. But he is making a gamble with
his threat to leave the panel.
Kyl, who earlier this year walked out on a budget-cutting group led by Vice President Joseph Biden, is
just one voice on a panel that requires only seven
INTERCEPTS
“The 9/11 era is drawing to a close, and it’s
time to plan for the post-9/11 era.” The
new era “will surpass the Cold War in terms
of global posturing, and there is a blurred
distinction between our vital and our
peripheral geographical interests. The 21st
century enemy is unlikely to fight the way
we would prefer.”
Todd Harrison
Senior fellow with the Center for Strategic and Budgetary
Assessments
In remarks during a National Press Club presentation on
lessons learned in the decade following the 2001 terrorist
attacks.
Government Executive, Sept. 8
“The one thing we can make absolutely clear
in the military is no matter what happens, if
they step over a line … we need to make
sure that our military is strong enough
against a peer … to inflict a significant
amount of pain in return.”
U.S. Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash.
Ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee
On maintaining a balanced approach to China’s growing
naval strength by keeping U.S. weaponry level to counter
any threat, but not resorting to a Cold War-type arms race.
Defense Daily, Sept. 12
“There are a lot of folks that are looking
with great interest at the level of activity
by the Chinese up in the Beaufort and
Chukchi [seas in the Arctic Ocean]. And
they’re wondering, ‘What’s going on up
there?’ Because we don’t think that they’re
doing any sightseeing.”
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska
On the need for an increased U.S. presence in the Arctic
to protect the nation’s interests in the region.
NPR, Aug. 19
votes for approval of the final package. Under the law
that created the super committee, Kyl would be
replaced by another Republican senator if he did step
down — perhaps leaving the committee with no
strong defense advocates.
That, ultimately, could become the worst-case scenario for the Pentagon.
Senate Appropriators Agree
To Trim F- 35 Budget, Terminate JLTV
In making $26 billion in cuts to the Pentagon’s budget
proposal for fiscal 2012, the Senate Defense appropriations subcommittee agreed Sept. 13 to trim $695 million from the $9.7 billion request for the F- 35
Lightning II.
Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Daniel
Inouye, D-Hawaii, stressed that he supports the program, which he believes has made progress over the
last year. But he still wants to freeze production rates at
2011 levels for the next two years.
Doing so, he suggested, would allow more time for
officials to get the program on track before the Pentagon ramps up its buys.
“The test program is only 10 percent complete, yet
the request continues to ramp up production of aircraft
in fiscal years 2012 and 2013,” he said. “For each air-
craft we build this early in the test program, we will
have to pay many millions in the future to fix the prob-
lems that are identified in testing.”
The bill also terminates the Joint Light Tactical
Vehicle (JLTV) program developed for the Army and
LOCKHEED MARTIN/MICHAEL D. JACKSON
The F-35C test aircraft CF- 3 is brought to launch position
on a test catapult at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md.,
July 19 to demonstrate proper catapult hook-up in preparation for the first launches at Lakehurst, N.J., later in the
month. CF- 3 is the designated carrier suitability test aircraft.
