• 19 Apr 2023 11:58 PM
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Washington Report, May-June 2023

DoD Reveals Budget for Fiscal Year 2024
On March 9, the Biden Administration unveiled its budget request for fiscal year 2024 (FY24). The Department of Defense (DoD) requested $842B for FY24, an increase of $26B over FY23. In terms of vertical lift aircraft, this year’s proposed budget is largely consistent with the request for FY23. It appears to be less, however, than the enacted budget for FY23, a consequence of the multiple changes Congress made to the FY23 budget for VTOL aircraft (see “Washington Report,” Vertiflite, Jan/Feb 2023). As with last year, the DoD’s request for rotorcraft funding in FY24, which is described in detail below, is likely to undergo several iterations in the coming months amid persistent uncertainty regarding the future of some programs.

The Army’s budget for the Boeing AH-64E Apache attack helicopter is set to rise slightly in FY24, growing from $804M to $952M. The Army’s FY24 request funds the procurement of 42 AH-64E remanufactured aircraft, up from 35 remanufactured aircraft in FY23, as well as various technological improvements to the aircraft. The Army’s request for the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk is consistent with last year’s request, though it is somewhat lower than the amount appropriated by Congress for FY23. The FY24 request is for $915M, which funds the procurement of 24 UH-60M and HH-60M helicopters and the conversion of 26 helicopters to the UH-60V model. In the final FY23 budget, Congress added funding for the several additional UH-60M/HH-60M helicopters, bringing last year’s budget to $1.17B.

As with the Black Hawk, the Army’s request for the Boeing CH- 47F Chinook, $241.4M in FY24, is roughly the same as last year’s request; it will continue development work on the Block II improvements and procures six MH-47G special operations variants. However, in the final budget for FY23, Congress added funding to purchase additional aircraft after the Army included the Chinook in its list of unfunded priorities (see “Washington Report,” Vertiflite, May/June 2022).

In its proposed budget for FY24, the Navy and Marine Corps requested $2.4B for the Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion heavy-lift helicopter. The request is virtually identical to the budget for FY23, except that in FY24, the Marine Corps intends to procure 15 aircraft, up from 12 in FY23. The budget also funds the continued development of software for the helicopter and the correction of deficiencies identified in testing.

Funding for the V-22 Osprey tiltrotor VTOL is set to decline from around $1.12B in FY23 to $649M in FY24, a change driven by the beginning of the shutdown of the production line. Although the Navy had wished to end production of the V-22 in FY23, Congress allocated funding to purchase several of the tiltrotor VTOL aircraft. In its FY24 request, the Navy has reiterated its desire to bring production of the aircraft to a close. The Air Force’s budget for the V-22, which has long been considerably smaller than that of the Navy’s, is consistent with prior years.

The Air Force has been at odds with Congress over its budget for the Sikorsky HH-60W Jolly Green, a version of the Black Hawk. Although the Air Force had intended to end purchases of the combat rescue helicopter, Congress prohibited the service from shutting down the production line and doubled the number of HH-60Ws to be purchased in FY23. In its FY24 request, the Air Force has declined to add funds to purchase additional aircraft, a move that reflects the DoD’s decision to reduce the total fleet size from 113 to 75 HH-60Ws over concerns that the service needed a more survivable aircraft to operate in contested environments.

Other budget items include the Boeing MH-139A Grey Wolf (a variant of the Leonardo AW139), for which the Air Force has requested $274.8M in FY24 to purchase seven aircraft, a marginal increase over FY23. The Navy and Marine Corps, meanwhile, requested $95M in FY24 for the VH-92A Presidential Helicopter, which is consistent with past years. Fiscal year 2024 marks the first year of the Army’s Future Unmanned Aircraft System (FUAS) procurement program, which encompasses the VTOL Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS). The Army requested $53.5M for four FTUAS systems.

FAA Administrator Position Remains Vacant
On March 25, US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg confirmed that Phil Washington, the Biden administration’s nominee for the position of administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), was withdrawing from consideration for the role. The move comes after the Senate stalled for months in giving Washington, the CEO of Denver International Airport and a 24-year Army veteran, a hearing on the nomination, a failure Buttigieg attributed to “partisan attacks and procedural obstruction.” In a March 27 statement, Washington said that the decision was not made lightly and gave thanks for the support he had received from several Senate members. The FAA, which is currently led by Acting Administrator Billy Nolen, has lacked a Senate-confirmed leader for more than a year.

Congress Engages with Aviation Sustainability
The US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation held a hearing on March 29 on “Advancing Next Generation Aviation Technologies.” The committee, which is chaired by Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), invited testimony from several companies involved in hydrogen-electric aviation, as well as representatives from government agencies and think tanks. In prepared remarks, Dr. Val Miftakhov, the founder and CEO of ZeroAvia, argued that the “large-scale removal of emissions from regional aviation by 2030 is absolutely achievable.” Joe Gordon, the co-founder of Universal Hydrogen, urged Congress to provide additional funding for the FAA, arguing that hydrogen-electric aviation is underfunded compared to investments in other sustainability technologies.

On March 30, the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure held a wide-ranging hearing on plans for the FAA reauthorization legislation and advanced air mobility (AAM) technologies. Participating in the hearing were representatives from leading electric VTOL (eVTOL) developers and others from across the AAM industry. Congress has until Sept. 30 to pass legislation reauthorizing the FAA, which is expected to heavily feature AAM technologies and policies. “Today we find ourselves at the next transformative point in aviation history,” said Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA), committee chairman.

Among the eight witnesses at the hearing were Kyle Clark, CEO of Beta Technologies, and JoeBen Bevirt, CEO of Joby Aviation. In prepared statements, both Clark and Bevirt underscored the essential role that the FAA’s reauthorization legislation is expected to play in ensuring the future of eVTOL aircraft and AAM. The two executives urged Congress to ensure that there is consistency and transparency in the FAA’s regulatory process and highlighted issues of critical importance, such as the need for infrastructure to support eVTOL operations. Joby’s Bevirt added that Congress should consider adding policies that “broaden access to aviation careers” as it considers the FAA reauthorization legislation.