05.19.08

Cantwell Calls on Members of Congress About Hanger and Runway Improvements that May Be Needed For Their States

WASHINGTON, DC – Following a letter to Secretary Gates questioning hanger expansion and runway strengthening needed at Fairchild Air Force Base in order to accommodate new Northrop/EADS KC-45 tankers, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell called on Members of Congress from states where KC-135 tankers are currently based to seek the same information about facilities in their states. Cantwell is concerned that the Department of Defense has not provided Congress with complete information about all costs associated with the Northrop/EADS KC-45, or the potential consequences for U.S. and foreign basing options for the new tankers.  
 
“I was very troubled by a recent site survey of Fairchild Air Force base which found that the Northrop/EADS tanker would not fit within the base’s existing maintenance hangar given its tail height and wingspan,” said Cantwell.  “I was also surprised to learn that Fairchild’s runway would need to be strengthened to accommodate the heavier weight of the new tankers.  I want to know, and I believe other Members of Congress will want to know, what this means for other Air Force bases around the country and also for civilian airfields used by Air National Guard and the Air Force Reserves. Congress must know what costs we're going to incur for these new tankers and what the impact is going to be for basing options for the Northrop/EADS tankers.”
 
Cantwell sent the letter to Senators and Representatives from Alaska, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Maine, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah and Wisconsin.
 
[The full text of the letter below]
 
May 19, 2008
 
Dear Members of Congress:
 
I encourage you to seek information concerning whether existing infrastructure supporting tankers in your state is sufficient to support the Northrop/EADS KC-45.
 
It has come to my attention that additional military construction costs would have to be incurred at my state’s Fairchild Air Force base or Northrop/EADS KC-45 tankers would not be able to operate there should they be sent there in the future. Hangers would have to be expanded and the runway strengthened because of the size of the KC-45. These costs have not been disclosed to Congress by the Department of Defense. Fairchild is currently home to KC-135s assigned to the 92nd Air Refueling Wing.
 
I am concerned that Congress has not been provided complete information about all the costs associated with the Northrop/EADS KC-45 or the potential consequences for U.S. and foreign basing options for the new tankers. Given ongoing budget constraints, this information is critical to the debate about the Northrop/EADS KC-45 that will take place in the months ahead.
 
 
Sincerely,
 
 
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
 
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