The machine tools allegedly sold by the Italian firm, Olivetti, to a Soviet aeronautics factory where they were used to build the YAK 41 fighter-bomber.
In theory, the Air Force has many hundreds of tactical aircraft like the F-15E fighter-bomber that might be used to prosecute an air campaign in the Western Pacific, but those planes have limited ranges and thus would be heavily dependent on aerial refueling.
McCain, who survived two plane crashes and a massive fire aboard the USS Forrestal before his A-4 Skyhawk fighter-bomber was shot down over Hanoi in 1967, said he had not given much thought to the possibility of threats to his life as a high-profile presidential candidate.
Another technique for saving money will be to use proven technology already developed for other programs, such as the sensor suite on the new F-35 fighter or the landing gear on the B-2 bomber.