Our nation’s tanker fleet is the bridge to maintain air superiority around the globe.  It keeps our fighters, our bombers and our reconnaissance planes in the air. It is crucial to our ability to fight overseas.  There is no time to waste.  We need to replace America’s aging fleet of tankers as soon as possible.

I am pleased that Secretary Gates has recognized the need to act quickly. A timely process is vital to ensuring that the Air Force gets the tanker it needs as quickly as possible and at a fair price for the taxpayer.  Now, we need the Pentagon to adhere to the tight timeline Gates has set.  The competitors need to cooperate by bidding promptly and not further delaying the process with additional protests.  Our national security requires it.

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 10th, 2008 at 11:21 am and is filed under Politics .