Congressman wants faster drone testing, fielding to fill inventory gap (The Federal Times)

Congressman wants faster drone testing, fielding to fill inventory gap – By Megan Eckstein (The Federal Times) / June 16, 2023

WASHINGTON — One influential lawmaker is encouraging the U.S. military to accept more risk in pursuing unmanned systems, with the hope these drones can fill capability gaps left behind when old systems retire.

Federal spending caps for fiscal 2024 and fiscal 2025 forced the House Armed Services Committee to agree to retire aging ships and aircraft they may have otherwise fought to keep a little while longer, Rep Rob Wittman told Defense News

But, he warned, “there’s probably going to be some gap” between when old platforms like the Air Force’s A-10s and the Navy’s cruisers retire, and when the services can fully rebuild their inventory.

“I think it really calls to the forefront the issue of using other smaller, less expensive, attritable platforms as the gap-filler,” Wittman, R-Va., said in a June 14 interview in his Capitol Hill office.

CONTINUE > https://www.federaltimes.com/naval/2023/06/16/congressman-wants-faster-drone-testing-fielding-to-fill-inventory-gap/