Air Force is told to buy 3 more Boeing C-17s

Posted on: Apr. 28th, 2006 || Source: seattlepi.nwsource.com | E-mail Article | Print Article

A House panel directed the Air Force Thursday to buy three more Boeing Co. C-17 transports, a move that signals Congress likely will overturn the Pentagon's intent to cap the program at 180 aircraft.

A House Armed Services Committee panel voted to pay for the planes by adding $300 million to the fiscal 2007 defense budget and shifting $390 million more that was planned to pay for the cost of mothballing C-17 production equipment.

The action likely will be approved next week by the entire committee as part of the $419 billion bill authorizing defense spending for fiscal 2007. It marks the third time this year that a congressional panel has supported buying more aircraft produced by Boeing's Long Beach, Calif., facility.

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