Opening Statement by Chairman Donald Norcross
Opening Statement by Chairman Donald Norcross
Subcommittee on Tactical Air & Land Forces NDAA Mark-Up
WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Congressman Donald Norcross (NJ-01), Chair of the Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee, provided the below opening remarks at the subcommittee’s mark-up of the Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), H.R. 6395:
“With regard to the mark before us this morning, I’d like to start by thanking all our members for their contributions and participation in the hearings, briefings, and conference calls we’ve held since the beginning of this year.
Our subcommittee’s commitment to a strong tradition of bipartisan cooperation is what allows us to once again offer a mark that ensures the readiness and modernization of our nation’s air and land forces.
Although the COVID crisis has complicated our oversight—severely limiting our hearings, meetings, and important travel—we have gathered the information necessary to build a mark that supports the Department’s budget request while – at the same time – continues our oversight of the Department’s largest, most complex, risky, and expensive programs.
Let me briefly highlight a few of the oversight issues included here:
First, this mark continues necessary, detailed oversight of strike-fighter and training aircraft acquisition programs such as the F/A-18, F-15EX, A-10, and T-7 — and most notably the F-35 program, which has proven to be among the Department’s greatest and most expensive acquisition and sustainment challenges.
This mark pays particular attention to the Department’s development, sustainment, and management of manned and unmanned intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft and supporting systems. Of increasing concern is how Service plans appear to increase risk for our Combatant Commands and their requirements for these systems.
This mark continues oversight of the Army’s new modernization strategy with respect to Army aviation, including the CH-47 Chinook helicopter, combat and tactical vehicles, air and missile defense, the network, and soldier lethality.
Next week, at the full committee markup, Members will see recommendations that support careful oversight and management of resources for:
- Tactical and rotary aviation,
- ISR aircraft and supporting systems,
- Armored and tactical vehicles,
- Critical munitions, and
- The reduction of risk in our defense industrial base.
And, of course, this mark addresses many other programs of committee and Member interest.
Finally, I want to thank our subcommittee staff for their hard work getting us here today: Bill, Heath, Carla, Liz, Jesse, and our Clerks, Caroline and, this year, Zach.”
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