Mitch McConnell
15:18 - 16:12
“Also glad to see the fiscal year '27 request begin to address the issue of operational readiness rates by investing more in F-35 spares. But the department will continue to step on its own tail if it insists in housing procurement with new airframes, primarily in one-off reconciliation spending.”
- Speaker
- Mitch McConnell
- Timestamp
- 15:18 – 16:12
- Community
- Alaska News
- Captured at
- June 9, 2026
From the transcript
First, I'm encouraged to see the department acknowledge the need for the E-7 WedgeTail Airborne Battle Management Aircraft. This platform meets a current-day need with the current-day capability. And the department's alignment with this priority is a welcome investment in resiliency as we continue to build our space-based capabilities that will serve our joint force in the future. Also glad to see the fiscal year '27 request begin to address the issue of operational readiness rates by investing more in F-35 spares. But the department will continue to step on its own tail if it insists in housing procurement with new airframes, primarily in one-off reconciliation spending.
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