DeLauro Statement On House Defense Authorization Amendment Updating The Air Force's Fleet Of Helicopters
Statement
Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) tonight released the following statement regarding an amendment sponsored by Representatives DeLauro, Zinke, Rogers, and Lummis that was adopted by voice vote in the House of Representatives. The Amendment ensures the security of the nation's land-based nuclear forces by requiring an acquisition strategy that will field a UH-1N replacement aircraft by FY 2018.
"There is an urgent national security need to replace the aging UH-1Ns performing nuclear missile site missions and the Air Force needs to move quickly. The amendment's inclusion in the Authorization bill will not only ensure the security of the nation's nuclear missile sites, it will ensure that the Air Force will have the most state of the art tools available to complete these missions. There is no room for error in protecting our nuclear weapons from those who wish to do us harm.
"As the home to the nation's finest helicopter developer, I am confident that Connecticut will continue to play a central role in updating the nation's helicopter fleet. Sikorsky's record of success in developing cutting edge defense technologies makes them an unmatched leader in the field. I will continue to support the hardworking men and women of Connecticut who are working to deliver the best helicopters in the world to our military and with this amendment, I am proud to help keep these jobs in the state."
Currently, the Vietnam-era UH-1N helicopters are responsible for securing three missile fields covering an area of approximately 32,000 square miles. These helicopters must be able to respond to an imminent threat to the missile fields in a moment's notice.
In February, Congressional Quarterly reported that the Air Force's UH-1N helicopters failed to meet the required standards in its most recent Mighty Guardian test exercise for ICBM security response capabilities. The amendment passed in the House requires the Air Force to replace the aging UH-1N helicopters that are unable to adequately perform nuclear protection missions.
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