[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 147 (Tuesday, September 12, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S5221]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 942. Mr. ISAKSON (for himself and Mr. Perdue) submitted an 
amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill H.R. 2810, to 
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2018 for military activities 
of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for 
defense activities of the Department of Energy, 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 D of title I, add the following:

     SEC. ___. PROHIBITION ON AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS FOR RETIREMENT 
                   OF E-8 JSTARS AIRCRAFT.

       (a) Prohibition on Available of Funds for Retirement.--No 
     funds authorized to be appropriated by this Act or otherwise 
     made available for fiscal year 2018 for the Air Force may be 
     obligated or expended to retire, prepare to retire, or place 
     in storage or on backup aircraft inventory status any E-8 
     JSTARS aircraft.
       (b) Additional Limitations on Retirement.--
       (1) In general.--In addition to the limitation in 
     subsection (a), during the period before December 31, 2018, 
     the Secretary of the Air Force may not retire, prepare to 
     retire, or place in storage or on backup flying status any E-
     8 JSTARS aircraft.
       (2) Minimum inventory requirement.--The Secretary of the 
     Air Force shall ensure the Air Force maintains the entire 
     current fleet of E-8 aircraft as primary mission aircraft 
     inventory.
       (c) Prohibition on Availability of Funds for Significant 
     Reductions in Manning Levels.--No funds authorized to be 
     appropriated by this Act of otherwise made available for 
     fiscal year 2018 for the Air Force may be obligated or 
     expended to make significant reductions to manning levels 
     with respect to any E-8 JSTARS aircraft wing or squadron.
       (d) Additional Limitation on Significant Reductions in 
     Manning Levels.--In addition to the limitation in subsection 
     (c), during the period before December 31, 2018, the 
     Secretary of the Air Force may not make significant 
     reductions to manning levels with respect to any E-8 JSTARS 
     wing or squadron.

     SEC. __. REQUIREMENT FOR CONTINUATION OF E-8 JSTARS 
                   RECAPITALIZATION PROGRAM.

       The Secretary of the Air Force shall continue the current 
     recapitalization plan for the E-8C JSTARS fleet until the 
     Secretary of Defense certifies that a new approach would not 
     result in increased capability gaps in Battlefield 
     Management, Command and Control/Intelligence, Surveillance, 
     and Reconnaissance (BMC2/ISR).
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