Senate lawmakers have raised concerns over the lack of aerial refueling capability in the next presidential aircraft, DoD Buzz reported Tuesday.

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) asked Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on the issue at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing Tuesday.

“I think that was a decision that was not made by the — by the Air Force, but made by the White House, and I think it had to do with the fiscal constraints on the program,” Dunford said.

The service branch and the White House had been in talks to reduce the cost of the next Air Force One planes and forgoing the aircraft’s inflight refueling function was one of the cost-cutting measures they plan to implement.

Breaking Defense also reported that the Air Force’s budget request for fiscal 2018 shows that the service branch will need approximately $3.2 billion in funds from 2018 through 2022 to replace the current fleet of VC-25 planes.

“We may need to revisit that decision,” Cotton said of the White House’s decision to exclude the aerial refueling capability for the Presidential Aircraft Recapitalization program.

The hearing came weeks after the Air Force awarded Boeing a potential $600 million contract modification to conduct preliminary design work to convert a pair of 747-8 aircraft into presidential planes.

The U.S. National Guard has rolled out satellite communications systems in an effort to address communication gaps in hurricane-affected U.S. territories.

The Guard said Friday its Joint Incident Site Communications Capability is designed to facilitate high-frequency radio, data, video and voice communications between first responders.

Four JISCCs are currently on-site in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands to aid Hurricane Maria relief operations and more systems are slated to arrive.

The Guard previously fielded 18 JISCC platforms to support recovery missions in areas affected by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.

A prototype of the communications system was deployed during Hurricane Katrina in 2005 to validate its performance.

The system has also been used to support chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and environmental response efforts as well as help mitigate wildfires in the Pacific Northwest.

The Guard expects to integrate 5G wireless connection into JISCC to optimize data transfer speed.

Ryan McCarthy, acting secretary of the U.S. Army, has said the service branch requires a “sufficient” and “predictable” budget to maintain readiness and prepare for future operations.

“You don’t defend a country on a budget, you defend it on a strategy,” McCarthy said Wednesday during his visit to the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland.

“We must look for rapid insertion of new technology in order to keep pace with both commercial trends and adversaries,” he added.

McCarthy also met with Army leaders at APG to discuss the facility’s science and technology, research, development, acquisition, testing and sustainment functions.

He examined various modernization projects at APG, such as secure wireless communications, radios and mission command platforms.

The Army facility showcased other platforms such as the Ultra Light Command Post Node prototype designed to provide communications and mission command support; the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle that will replace the Army’s Humvees; and the upgunned Stryker combat vehicle.

Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121 members have performed a hot-loading mission using an F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing aircraft as part of the U.S. Marine Corp‘s Weapons and Tactics Instructors course 1-18.

The service branch said Monday that the Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron one hosted the WTI event that gathered service members from around the world to participate in mission readiness training exercises.

The hot-loading mission aimed to provide an opportunity for pilots and ground crew to prepare for potential real world operations.

USMC service members loaded the AIM 120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile missiles onto an F-35B unit that immediately took off afterward.

The U.S. Air Force has sent B-1B Lancer bombers and F-15C Eagle fighter escorts over a demilitarized zone east of North Korea for a mission to demonstrate U.S. military capability.

Dana White, chief spokesperson of the Defense Department, said in a statement released Saturday the mission is a response to North Korea’s recent activities and aims to caution the country that President Donald Trump may exercise appropriate military action.