With the end of the government's fiscal year only 8 days away, Boeing turns up the lobbying heat and the climax of the C-17 fiscal 2010 budget boxing match is approaching. As another C-17 is delivered to the European alliance, Boeing uses Facebook, YouTube, an on-line petition, and a dedicated web site, to rally its cause. A vote could come this week.

Not only that, but Boeing is increasing the threat level in the rhetoric. Tommy Dunehew, Boeing's Vice President of Business Development for the C-17 program, speaking at the annual Air Force Association meeting, said that if the U.S. government does not order more of the big planes, the production line will shut down in July 2011. Even though there are potential international orders which Boeing has been working on for ages, Dunehew indicated those orders alone would not be enough to keep the production line running.

Secretary of Defense , Robert M. Gates, also spoke at the Air Force Association meeting, and can you believe it?--He did not mention the C-17 budget match up. Speaking in National Harbor, MD, Wednesday, September 16, 2009 Gates did refer to the Air Force's "aging inventory" and the need for airlift in the war in Afghanistan. He said:
"In the coming months, America’s Airmen will be tested even more. The war in Afghanistan is entering a decisive phase. In a landlocked nation with mountainous terrain and few usable roads, we and our allies are far more dependent on air power to protect troops and move supplies. This year, the Air Force is on track to deliver over 22 million pounds of cargo within Afghanistan, more than double the amount from two years ago. A C-130 touching down on a dusty, improvised landing strip is a welcome sight at many remote outposts that may be running low on food, fuel, and ammunition. Then, of course, there are the C-17 and C-5 crews flying thousands of tons a day in and out of theater. And the tanker aircrews and maintenance personnel keeping planes in the air that are often older than their parents."

In the speech, Gates did discuss the budget, but he said nothing about the C-17 in that context. He mentioned the F-22, the F-35, unmanned vehicles, cyberspace war and space war. He also talked about the need for budget control in general, but nothing about the conflicting plans for the C-17 in the various budget bills.

While Gates and the Air Force brass were at National Harbor, Boeing was delivering another C-17 to the NATO Airlift Management Organization (NAMO). The pplane will support NAMO's 12-nation Strategic Airlift Capability (SAC) initiative. The delivery took place at Boeing's final assembly facility in Long Beach. The advanced airlifter, known as SAC 02, is the second of three C-17s that will be assigned to SAC's Heavy Airlift Wing (HAW) in western Hungary this year and will support International Security Assistance Force operations in Afghanistan as well as the airlift requirements of SAC member nations. Boeing will deliver SAC 03 in early October.

The SAC group includes 10 NATO nations -- Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, United States -- and Partnership for Peace members Sweden and Finland. They will share acquisition and operating costs for the fleet of three C-17s over a nearly 30-year agreement.

The current Senate bill funds 10 additional C-17s, while the House bill calls for only 3 more of the airlifters. Boeing says 10-12 is more like a minimum to keep the line rolling. The full Senate and House could bote on their respective bills this week. A conference committee will follow shortly. Stay tuned.