Apr 25 1985
From The Space Library
Ted Stevens (R-Aka.), chairman of the Senate defense appropriations subcommittee, told Air Force officials today that Congress would provide funds in FY 86 to buy a number of Northrop F-20 Tigershark fighters, possibly for the Guard or Reserve, despite what the Air Force decided about the plane, Defense Daily reported. "You're going to get some F-20s if you like it or not," he said, although he added if the Air Force could prove to Congress the F-20 could not do the job, that would be a different matter. He also said that no one in Congress was "shilling" for one company or another, but simply wanted to have competition, which would ensure the best product at the lowest price.
Air Force Assistant Secretary Thomas Cooper said the Air Force was very interested in the F-20, but that the question had not been put to the Defense Resources Board and that the Defense Department had made no final decision to buy the F-20 in FY 8Z When Sen. William Proxmire (D-Wis.) asked about cutting the FY 86 F-16 buy from 180 to 161 aircraft and using the money freed to buy 32 F-20s, Cooper answered that the Air Force would not simply buy 32 F-20s without a follow-on commitment.
Northrop had proposed to provide 396 F-20s to the Air Force over a four-year period at a fixed price of $15 million each. However, Cooper said General Dynamics had told the Air Force that it would provide a fixed-price proposal for the F-16 if the Air Force requested it.
Sen. Warren Rudman (R-N.H.) pointed out the "supplier of the F-16 has not had the best record recently in defense contracting, . . . in fact, is in mild disrepute with some sectors" of the Department of Defense and is "guilty of some misconduct." Therefore, he said, the government should not "continue to reward them" if there was a viable competitor who gave them a better price. (D/D, Apr 26/85, 321)
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