Letter to House Armed Services Committee

March 24, 2006

The Honorable Duncan Hunter
Chairman
House Armed Services Committee
2120 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

The Honorable Ike Skelton
Ranking Member
House Armed Services Committee
2340 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Chairman Hunter and Ranking Member Skelton: 

As the House Armed Services Committee begins deliberation on the FY 2007 National Defense Authorization Act, we write to express our support for sustaining U.S. airborne electronic attack (AEA) capabilities and ensuring that future AEA capabilities adequately protect and enable our air and ground armed forces.

We understand that the Department of Defense (DoD) is facing increasing budget constraints as it seeks to provide for ongoing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as other contingencies around the world, and that it is planning to modernize and transform its force to meet emerging threats over the next decade.  For these reasons, we believe funding for a robust AEA capability is essential, and that “ICAP III capability” is that transformational electronic warfare (EW) piece that can be immediately applied to both existing and emerging AEA platforms.  AEA programs are cost-efficient, and they enable our force to be more agile and flexible and more effective against emerging threats, both the asymmetric threats we now face in prosecuting the GWOT, as well as the continually advancing “traditional” threats our forces will face in the future.  Most importantly, they save lives in the air and on the ground.     

In 2001, DoD released its AEA Analysis of Alternatives (AoA), a study that reviewed operational needs, threats, technologies, platforms, and costs.  Shortly thereafter, DoD embarked on a multi-Service approach to ensure adequate AEA capability was maintained this decade and transformed into a robust capability through at least 2020.  Five years later, we are concerned by the lack of progress in developing next generation AEA capabilities and the platforms that will employ these capabilities.  To avoid a capability gap in 2012, we must work to provide, beginning in 2007, necessary funding for and oversight of essential AEA programs.

While no Service is beyond reproach, the Navy is clearly ahead of the other Services in taking care of its AEA mission today and planning for its AEA mission tomorrow.  The Navy presently employs the EA-6B Prowler for its AEA mission.  The Navy has recently deployed its first upgraded ICAP III Prowler squadron.  It has also fully outfitted a second squadron for a mid-year deployment, to meet both Navy and Service-wide requirements.  EA-6B Prowlers will support Combatant Commander requirements until 2015, the planned date for the full deployment of the Navy’s next generation platform, the E/A-18G, which is scheduled to enter service in 2009.  We recognize that these are positive developments by the Navy, but we remain concerned about the procurement of too few ICAP III Prowlers.  There will be inadequate numbers to meet even the Navy and Marine Corps requirements, let alone the Joint Service needs until 2015.  Furthermore, we are concerned that the 1970s era ALQ-99 jamming pod, currently used on the Prowler, and scheduled to be employed on the EA-18G, must be upgraded in the very near future.  Congress and DoD should increase funding to buy additional ICAP III Prowlers to meet Joint Service requirements, and provide research and development funding for a future upgrade to the ALQ-99 jamming pod for the EA-18G.

The Air Force, which is scheduled to assume its AEA expeditionary mission (with a formal joint Memorandum of Understanding) from the Navy in 2012, has been developing its own "family of systems" to meet the capability requirement set forth in the AoA.  The Air Force was committed to provide its unique AEA capability, primarily by employing the EC-130 Compass Call and developing a stand-off jamming (SOJ) capability on B-52s to replace EA-6Bs, which will be phased out.  The B-52 SOJ would have been among the first capabilities used to detect and counter enemy air defenses and communications and enable other U.S. assets, such as the B-2, F-117, F-22 and JSF, to defeat identified threats.  In addition, research and development of the B-52 SOJ would have contributed to the development of a future upgrade to the EA-18G jamming pod.  Unfortunately, DoD recently announced that it was canceling the B-52 SOJ program, and the Air Force now has no clear alternative to meet this capability requirement.  This decision not only hurts the U.S. Air Force, but the Joint Services, as well.  It is crucial that Service programs, such as ICAP III, E/A-18G, EC-130 Compass Call, and the B-52 SOJ or an equivalent program, be fully funded and held to strict timetables to ensure a seamless transition of Joint Service AEA in 2012 and to ensure a robust Air Force AEA capability.

Finally, the Marine Corps has stated that it will maintain its current EA-6B force for the foreseeable future, until such time as an adequate AEA platform can be developed that meets Marine Corps operational requirements.  The current plan does not intend for ICAP III Prowlers to be assigned or transferred to the Marine Corps.  Unfortunately, the Marine Corps EA-6B Prowler requirement exceeds the current inventory of ICAP III Prowlers, meaning that, unless the number of ICAP III Prowlers is increased and a plan for their transfer to the Marine Corps is developed, the Marine Corps will be forced to continue operating out-dated ICAP II Prowlers well into the next decade.  Thus, as mentioned above, funding for additional ICAP III Prowlers, which will be transferred to the Marine Corps, is essential.

We appreciate your attention to our concerns and look forward to working with you to ensure that our Armed Forces always have the capabilities they need to safely and effectively accomplish their mission.  Please do not hesitate to contact us if we can be of further assistance to you in this effort.

Sincerely,

Joseph R. Pitts
Rick Larsen
Mark Kirk
Norman D. Dicks
Elijah Cummings
Todd Akin
G.K. Butterfield
Marilyn Musgrave
Elton Gallegly
Ander Crenshaw
Charles Bass
Jeb Bradley 

Electronic Warfare Working Group

Congressman Joe Pitts, Founder and Chairman

420 Cannon House Office Building

Washington, DC 20515

202 225-2411 phone    202 225-2013 fax