Washington, D.C. -- The Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces told a conference of defense industry and military officials today that the uncertainties faced by the United States at home and abroad, particularly in today’s economic meltdown, dictate a balance between maintaining our military superiority and making modest investments in future systems, but focused on areas where improvements are most urgently needed.

"Continuing a business-as-usual approach of pursuing gold-plated, unaffordable programs is no longer possible. In fact, that never should have been the plan in the first place," said U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie.  "But the simple fact is we can’t afford it."

Abercrombie was keynote speaker at the annual AVIATION WEEK Defense, Technology & Requirements Conference at the National Press Club.  The senior member of the Armed Services Committee told the audience that the process for development and purchase of future Pentagon weapons systems is not so much the problem as the fact that the process has not been followed by the military services, Department of Defense civilian leaders, the last several Administrations or by Congress.

"For most of the last decade, it was considered nearly unpatriotic to question any expenditure in the annual defense bills.  So, rather than make tough choices between the costs of two wars and developing new, high dollar ships, aircraft and ground technologies and weapons systems, the Pentagon has asked for money for all of it,"  Abercrombie said.  "But it’s not just the military’s fault.  The Administrations have allowed it and Congress has funded it."

The result, says Abercrombie, is a list of remarkably expensive programs, many marked by huge cost overruns or long delays, including the Army’s Future Combat System, the Air Force’s still-unawarded contract to build a new KC-X tanker aircraft, the Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship and the Marine Corps’ Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle.

"The real problem isn’t the process itself.  The problem is the process hasn’t been followed," Abercrombie told the conference.  "The Department of Defense almost routinely ignores the clear intent of Congress and submits budget requests that completely ignore limits or directives in legislation.  Expensive new programs are pushed into production long before their technologies are ready, which almost guarantees extensive cost overruns.  Other weapons programs seem to be immortal.  Congress tries to kill them, but they keep coming back year after year."

"The solution is up to all of us.  We need civilian leadership in the Department of Defense that’s willing to demand realistic cost estimates, honest technology assessments, reality-based program requirements and contracts that aren’t blank checks to defense companies. 

We need an Administration that’s willing to make tough choices; that realizes we can’t have it all.  Fortunately, I think we now have just such an Administration.

And, we in Congress need to engage the Administration in a responsible and comprehensive way over the proposed 2010 defense budget, and we need to exercise our Constitutional responsibility for oversight; to challenge; to ask questions; and never forget whose money we’re spending."

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