Procurement: August 24, 2001

Archives

The $5.5 billion defense supplement signed by President Bush includes $3.25 billion for readiness (including lots of money for training and spare parts), $1.6 billion for health care, and $515 million for a pay hike. Congress warned that it wasn't happy when 80 percent of the earlier $1 billion spare parts supplement was transferred to other accounts, and prohibited the Pentagon from retiring, transferring, dismantling, or reassigning any of the 93 B-1B Lancer conventional bombers. The bill delayed V-22 production until problems are fixed, but provided enough money to build 11 aircraft, the minimum to get the assembly line moving.--Stephen V Cole