More than three dozen House lawmakers are calling on top military officials to justify their plans to curb the purchases of legacy Army helicopters, offering an early glimpse of what could become a budgetary flashpoint in the months ahead.
The bipartisan group, led by Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) and Rep. Dale Strong (R-Ala.), is pushing Pentagon leaders to rethink the potential impacts on the broader defense supplier network before proceeding with the cuts.
“We urge careful consideration of the strategic implications that significant reductions in Army aviation procurement and force structure may have for the defense industrial base, the organic industrial base, production capacity, and long-term military capability,” the lawmakers wrote in a Thursday letter.
