House Armed Services Committee (HASC) leaders are proposing Congress provide an additional $3.9 billion for 15 C-17 airlifters in fiscal 2009 budget-making, as well as $523 million above the Pentagon's request for F-22 advance procurement for 20 aircraft in fiscal 2010.

The HASC air and land forces subcommittee's efforts, eyed for full-HASC consideration next week, also include a suggestion for an additional $246 million for the counter-rocket, artillery and mortar system.

But in the subcommittee's markup of FY '09 defense authorization language May 7, airland panelists proposed cuts of $166 million in the Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter program, and $200 million -- 5.5 percent of the requested $3.6 billion -- from the Army's Future Combat Systems (FCS) program.

Airland Chairman Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii) said that Army readiness is in worse shape than when the panel marked up the annual legislation in 2007, so his draft of this year's legislation reallocated funds to higher priority Army and Air Force needs and made adjustments in programs that are not performing or not following appropriate acquisition practices, or are simply lower priority programs when compared to the immediate needs of U.S. combat personnel.

"This situation requires action to prevent further decay of the Army's readiness, including a modest reduction in funding for FCS program elements not set to field until 2015 at the earliest, while providing full funding for all FCS program systems intended for fielding by 2011, at the earliest," Abercrombie explained.

Airland's ranking Republican, Rep. Jim Saxton (N.J.), in turn called for Congress and the nation to boost overall defense spending so the armed services don't have to sacrifice procurement and research spending to meet combat needs -- especially the Army.

"The Army's funding crisis cannot be solved by continuing to cut funding for the FCS program or any other modernization program," Saxton said.

More C-17s

Meanwhile, Saxton said that President Bush's planned increases in Army and Marine Corps personnel sizes, as well as increased reliance on C-17s to provide airlift for combat personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan, are "clear" indicators that the Defense Department needs more C-17s.

Otherwise, Abercrombie said the legislation meets Bush's requests for major programs under the subcommittee's oversight.

That includes: $2.2 billion for upgrading Abrams tanks, Bradley Fighting Vehicles, and Stryker vehicles; $3.4 billion for Army tactical wheeled vehicles, including $947 million for up-armored Humvees; $2.6 billion for Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles; $3.1 billion for Army helicopters and upgrades; $631 million for Army precision-guided missiles and rockets; $479 million for small arms of numerous types; $749 million for B-2 bomber modernization and upgrades; $3 billion for 20 F-22 Raptors; $1.6 billion for eight Air Force Joint Strike Fighters (Another eight F-35s are expected to be provided by the seapower subcommittee); and $570 million for six C-130s.

Finally, and as expected, airland members also proposed an additional $526 million for the alternative JSF engine program.