The case for weapons made here at home: not in distant France

The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author.

By the late 1970s, the US military appeared to be in decline. The Vietnam War had demoralized the troops, and there was also a shortage of equipment. Even worse, our leaders seemed willing to accept the decline.

During the 1980 presidential campaign, members of Jimmy Carter's cabinet toured the country preaching the importance of accepting limitations. For example, in July, “In a direct challenge to a Republican campaign platform calling for US military superiority over the Soviet Union, Defense Secretary Harold Brown said yesterday that such a notion is both militarily and economically impossible.”

But the Americans were not ready to throw in the towel. They knew that superiority was necessary and achievable. President Reagan's build-up invested in our weapons supply chain in the 1980s. He protected the US and defeated the Soviet Union without firing a shot.

Today, our country faces different enemies, but the underlying challenge is the same: we must maintain our military advantage over any potential enemy. The best way to do that is by supporting American suppliers by buying weapons designed here and made here by American companies.

Some, however, are pushing to outsource a critical segment of our defenses: the construction of tanker aircraft. Tankers are an American invention and have allowed our military to project power anywhere in the world for decades. But many of the tankers in service now are decades old, so the Pentagon is fielding the KC-46 (known as the Pegasus), with 76 American-made aircraft in service and more on the way.

But a French company wants part of the oil tanker's contract. A spokesperson says that its design, based on a European aircraft, “is a reliable choice for the US Air Force; one that will offer affordability, proven performance and unmatched capabilities.”

There are several problems with this approach. First, the Airbus the design is not that good. It would be bigger than the Pegasus, but that means it would be harder to handle on shorter tracks. It would have different controls, so pilots would have to train with it for thousands of hours. It would use different parts, so mechanics would have to learn how to maintain it, while the military would have to stockpile all those spare parts. Both would be costly and inefficient.

Also, keep in mind that taxpayers are already paying for the Pegasus, which is in the air and now doing the job. This version of the tanker will remain in service for years, no matter what happens. Meanwhile, an Airbus design has not been tested and would cost millions, billions, more.

“The Air Force has spent $1.6 billion on Pegasus flight testing, and it is now certified to refuel the vast majority of fighter jets in the joint fleet,” said a commentator on says Forbes. “Assuming the service does not want to repeat this costly and time-consuming process with a different aircraft, the KC-46 appears to be the obvious candidate for the next tanker procurement increase.”

Finally, there is the importance of buying American. Our allies offer a useful lesson on whether we should outsource military spending.

Great Britain is the European country that spends the most in terms of the purchase of weapons. However, the British have closed their capacity to build home-grown weapons. The UK only has about 150 tanks to deploy. As for the rest of the weapons, the country's government he thought about throwing rocket launchers out of museums to donate to Ukraine. Britain is a great ally, but has little hardware to contribute.

Free markets are wonderful and the best possible way to organize an economy. But a strictly free market does not apply to national security. If our international supply lines are cut, the United States will still need to be able to build and maintain our weapons systems. Trying to save a few bucks while making ourselves vulnerable is pointless. The US needs domestic suppliers. You don't need Airbus.

Greg Young is the host of the national radio show Chosen Generation, which airs Monday through Friday on stations coast to coast. He served as a Russian linguist in the USAF, learn more at chosengenerationradio.com.

Greg Young is the host of the national radio show Chosen Generation, which airs Monday through Friday on stations coast to coast. He served as a Russian linguist in the USAF, learn more at chosengenerationradio.com.

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