Scott: Pentagon approves J-STARS 'milestone'

An effort to buy new planes for the J-STARS unit at Robins Air Force Base appears to be back on track.

U.S. Austin Scott, R-Ashburn, announced Friday that the Pentagon has approved the next step in the process called "Milestone A."

In a Milestone A decision, the Pentagon examines the strategy for an acquisition and determines whether it can move forward. Milestone A was expected to be approved in September, but the Pentagon concluded that more work was needed.

Then, a top Pentagon official raised doubts about whether funding would remain in place to get new planes for J-STARS, or Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System.

But Scott, who serves in the House Armed Services Committee, announced Friday that the Pentagon had approved Milestone A.

"I am pleased that the Department of Defense agreed to approve the milestone acquisition decision to permit the next step in recapitalization of the J-STARS fleet," he said in a release.

"This is an important development for Robins Air Force Base and a crucial step to ensure our nation's warfighters have the capabilities they need."

The Air Force wants to replace the J-STARS' decades-old planes, which are modified from commercial airliners, with smaller business class jets.

Scott and other J-STARS supporters in Congress have been raising concerns that the delays in getting new planes could lead to a lapse in a critical capability.

The J-STARS units track enemy movements on the ground and relay that information directly to ground commanders.

This story was originally published December 11, 2015 at 10:11 PM with the headline "Scott: Pentagon approves J-STARS 'milestone' ."