[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 88 (Wednesday, June 3, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3686-S3687]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 1478. Mr. TILLIS (for himself, Mr. Inhofe, and Mr. Burr) submitted 
an amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 1463 proposed by 
Mr. McCain to the bill H.R. 1735, to authorize appropriations for 
fiscal year 2016 for military activities of the Department of Defense 
and for military construction, to prescribe military personnel 
strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was 
ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of subtitle B of title I, add the following:

     SEC. 141. STATIONING OF C-130 H AIRCRAFT AVIONICS PREVIOUSLY 
                   MODIFIED BY THE AVIONICS MODERNIZATION PROGRAM 
                   (AMP) IN SUPPORT OF DAILY TRAINING AND 
                   CONTINGENCY REQUIREMENTS FOR AIRBORNE AND 
                   SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES.

       The Secretary of the Air Force shall station aircraft 
     previously modified by the C-130 Avionics Modernization 
     Program (AMP) to support United States Army Airborne and 
     United States Army Special Operations Command daily training 
     and contingency requirements by the end of fiscal year 2017, 
     and such aircraft shall not be required to deploy in the 
     normal rotation of C-130 H units. The Secretary shall provide 
     such personnel as required to maintain and operate the 
     aircraft.

     SEC. ----. FIELDING OF AMP MODIFIED C-130 H AIRCRAFT

       Section 134 of the Carl Levin and Howard P. `Buck' McKeon 
     National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 
     (Public Law 113-291) prohibits the Air Force from canceling 
     or modifying the C-130H AMP program of record. Elsewhere in 
     this Act the committee states that it expect the Air Force to 
     continue to execute AMP and field C-130H aircraft previously 
     upgraded by the AMP program until the Air Force provides a 
     concrete plan that describes the final modification 
     configuration for a restructured AMP program, a service cost 
     position, and a procurement and installation schedule that 
     would realistically support a fleet viability requirement.
       The Air Force has resisted fielding the five previously 
     modified AMP aircraft or to install the previously purchased 
     installation kits to modify an additional four aircraft 
     because of the difficulties in training aircrews and 
     establishing logistics support, thereby negating the ability 
     to deploy these aircraft in the C-130 schedule rotation. 
     However, in order to comply with 134 of the Carl Levin and 
     Howard P. `Buck' McKeon National Defense Authorization Act 
     for Fiscal Year 2015 (Public Law 113-291) and stated 
     committee desires, the Air Force must continue fielding these 
     aircraft.
       The five current AMP-modified C-130Hs, plus aircraft 
     modified with the four previously purchased installation kits 
     would be

[[Page S3687]]

     ideal aircraft to support 18th Airborne Corps, 82nd Airborne 
     Division, and U.S. Army Special Operations Command training 
     and contingency requirements as they would primarily provide 
     training support to these units and not be required to deploy 
     in the normal rotation of C-130 units.
       The committee believes the Air Force has expended 
     significant funds on the AMP program of record and therefore 
     should use due diligence to give the American taxpayer the 
     best return on scarce funding to maximize military 
     effectiveness.
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