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Gates cutting Pentagon budget by $78bn over five years

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  • Gates cutting Pentagon budget by $78bn over five years

    BBC News - Gates cutting Pentagon budget by $78bn over five years

    S Defence Secretary Robert Gates has announced a $78bn (£50.3bn) military budget cut, in part by scrapping a $14bn amphibious fighting vehicle.

    The cuts are part of a five-year spending plan for the defence department and go beyond the $100bn in internal savings already announced.

    Those savings will be redirected to other defence programmes, but the new cuts reduce the overall defence budget.

    The plan comes as a new Congress takes office amid concerns about the deficit.

    Much of the roughly $178bn in defence cuts will come through reduced administrative costs, new organisational efficiencies, and slashed personnel costs, which the defence department called a "vigorous scrub of bureaucratic structures".

    The Pentagon's budget is expected to be $553bn in 2012, reflecting roughly 3% growth. After that, growth would slow and would be essentially flat in 2015 and 2016, the Pentagon said.

    Mr Gates said much of the savings would be achieved by eliminating more than 100 general and flag officer positions, more than 200 top civilian defence positions, by cancelling redundant programmes and through reduced administrative costs.

    As much as $100bn in savings would not be sliced from the overall budget, Mr Gates said, but would be reinvested in shipbuilding, missile defence, intelligence, reconnaissance, healthcare for wounded soldiers, and other programmes.

    Among the major weapons systems set for the scrap heap is the amphibious Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV), made by General Dynamics Corporation. In addition, the Pentagon will end an Army surface-to-air missile programme.

    'Culture of endless money'

    Mr Gates has been sceptical about whether large military vehicles, like tanks and EFVs, will continue to be crucial military instruments as engagement in modern warfare changes.

    He has previously said the enemy has developed sophisticated weapons capable of attacking ships waiting close to shore.

    Other cost-cutting measures announced by Mr Gates include plans to cut orders for the F-35 joint strike fighter over the next three to five years to compensate for repeated delays in development and testing.

    He said he wanted to end the post-9/11 Pentagon's "culture of endless money where cost was rarely a consideration".

    The major weapons programmes cuts are likely to encounter opposition from US congressmen and senators in whose constituencies the arms are manufactured.

    "I'm not happy," House Armed Services Committee Chairman Howard McKeon told reporters. He said the cuts were greater than defence companies had been expecting.

  • #2
    can we try gates for treason please?

    He cut the F-22 just as Russia was preparing to unveil the Pak-50 (proves he worked for the CIA) and now wants to cutr the F-35 as well, is worried about anti-ship missiles so he cuts OTH capable landing vehicles, is worried about missiles and so plans to cut either the Patriot or THAAD. Cut the Army's FCS system including weapons that would have secured American conventional dominance fore the next 20 years. Under Obama and gates the US has talked about not refueling the Lincoln, cut the DDX program.

    He is cutting strategic and long term security items under the mistaken belief that large conventional wars are a thing of the past.

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by zraver View Post
      can we try gates for treason please?
      Are you being sarcastic?
      He cut the F-22 just as Russia was preparing to unveil the Pak-50 (proves he worked for the CIA)
      The F-22 in terms of what it has to offer has gestated. The Pak-50 may as well be a technological demonstrator, that no one in industry seems confident will gestate in it's current form, let alone are willing to speculate whether it is 5th gen. A lot of money to blow on a platform that could be sub par.
      and now wants to cutr the F-35 as well,
      Well, the B model does seem to be holding the programme by the throat. The USMC has a lot of golden egg programs trying to reach gestation. The V-22 finally has, the EFV is debatable, that mini jeep POS...

      is worried about anti-ship missiles so he cuts OTH capable landing vehicles,
      Something to do with a great big chunk of steel going on a predictable path with the proliferation of anti-access weapons. Whether it goes 30 knots faster or not. Sort of like the Pro - A-10 crowd ignoring proliferation of effective MANPADS.

      He is cutting strategic and long term security items under the mistaken belief that large conventional wars are a thing of the past.
      Everything I have read about Gates indicates he has much greater depth perception than the above would insinuate. Coupled with of course, access & knowledge.
      Ego Numquam

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by Chunder View Post
        Are you being sarcastic?
        No, I've disliked him from the start.

        The F-22 in terms of what it has to offer has gestated. The Pak-50 may as well be a technological demonstrator, that no one in industry seems confident will gestate in it's current form, let alone are willing to speculate whether it is 5th gen. A lot of money to blow on a platform that could be sub par.
        We now know Russia and China have 5th gen platforms in the works, instead of assuming they blow, lets assume they rock and preapre accordingly.

        Well, the B model does seem to be holding the programme by the throat. The USMC has a lot of golden egg programs trying to reach gestation. The V-22 finally has, the EFV is debatable, that mini jeep POS...
        The EFV was critical long term.

        Something to do with a great big chunk of steel going on a predictable path with the proliferation of anti-access weapons. Whether it goes 30 knots faster or not. Sort of like the Pro - A-10 crowd ignoring proliferation of effective MANPADS.
        A faster craft that can come in from over the horizon is much safer for the marines when we have to send them in. The USMC likely won't be doing any landings in a high intensity conflict, but AShM are becmoing more common and pose a serious risk to our forces. Plus is a situation like war with Iran with its masses of boghammers the EFV would be a force multiplier.

        Everything I have read about Gates indicates he has much greater depth perception than the above would insinuate. Coupled with of course, access & knowledge.
        And yet has he ever been right? He missed the collapse of the USSR, missed the fact that the activites of Iran-Contra were illegal, told Congress and the President that the Soviets were behind the shooting of the Pope, talked down to our NATO allies right as we needed them to step up, missed the Pak-FA/J-20. Seriously, the guy is an abject failure.

        Comment


        • #5
          z,

          yet in another thread you were all for the defense budget being cut by 33%+. tell me, how are you going to fund F-22s, EFVs, DDX, the FCS program with those types of cuts? for that matter, short of cutting down the Army to 8 divisions and the USAF/USN by another 25% or so, how do we get to there with the budget we have -today-? the numbers don't add up.
          There is a cult of ignorance in the United States, and there has always been. The strain of anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that "My ignorance is just as good as your knowledge."- Isaac Asimov

          Comment


          • #6
            Gates has been a breath of fresh air. He's recognized the fiscal constraints that the nation is facing and the looming liabilities of the DoD in terms of personnel costs and has gotten out in front of this while fighting those missions that the DoD has been assigned.
            "So little pains do the vulgar take in the investigation of truth, accepting readily the first story that comes to hand." Thucydides 1.20.3

            Comment


            • #7
              According to this http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/07/us...y.html?_r=1&hp NYTimes article, the Army and USMC will have to cut 27,000 and 20,000 active duty respectively starting in 2015. I am assuming that for the USMC the starting point for this will be an end to the recently reactivated 9th Marine Regiment. For the Army, my eye falls on Germany. Any thoughts?

              Z,

              I think that the missile program that is under threat is either MEADS or SLAMRAAM. Just did a quick search for any new news on it, but came up empty(edit: looks like its SLAMRAAM getting the axe). Might have to wait a while to get a full picture of the fallout. Im disappointed in the EFV decision too, I have been seeing some signs that they finally got the thing to work only to have the rug pulled out from under them. Seeing as this program has been under the gun for years now, I am frustrated that they didn't just get it over with years ago(haven't we been expecting Gates to kill this for years now?) and now seem to have canceled a project just on the verge of maturity. Still, if cuts need to be made, and they do, these seem palatable.
              Last edited by HKDan; 07 Jan 11,, 05:14.

              Comment


              • #8
                Actually, the Beeb has got it wrong this time.

                Here from Defense Tech

                * F-35B will go on a “two year probation” and move to the “back of the line” on development behind the “C” and “A” model. More F/A-18EF Super Hornets will be purchased and older F/A-18 Hornets will have their service lives extended for the Marine Corps to make up for the “B” delay or cut.
                * EFV is gone. Savings will be used to upgrade the AAV with more armor, better electronics and weaponry.
                * Army SLAMRAAM canceled.
                * The Non-Line of Sight Launch System gone.
                * Drawdown by 27K Soldiers and up to 20K Marines from end strength in 2015

                What’s in — Air Force:

                * More Air Force Reapers.
                * More EELVs.
                * Modernize F-15 radars.
                * New long range nuclear strike bomber — that can be “optionally piloted.”

                Army:

                * More money for Army suicide prevention.
                * Modernize the Abrams, Bradley and Stryker vehicle.
                * More MC-12 surveillance aircraft.
                * Quicker development of Grey Eagle UAV.
                * Quicker development of vertical UAS.

                Navy:

                * More money for jammers.
                * More money to upgrade and refit Marine Corps equipment used up in war.
                * More money and accelerated development of an unmanned strike capability.
                * Life extension for 150 F-18s.
                * New ship classes, including a destroyer, LCS, oilers and ocean surveillance craft.

                Missile Defense:

                * More long range interceptors.
                * More radar sites in Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

                Gates said the 2012 DoD budget request will be $553 billion, $13 billion less than planned in the previous FYDP. He added that the new FYDP numbers are $78 billion less than previously planned.

                “We think we have tightened up a good bit,” Gates said. “We think this is a sustainable budget.”
                http://defensetech.org/2011/01/06/ga...-a-quick-look/

                And the $78 billion are spread out over five years (it's a comparison to the previous five year plan).

                If nothing else, Gates is killing a lot of those staff positions and such.

                Here's the full text of Gates' speech: Defense.gov Speech:

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by astralis View Post
                  z,

                  yet in another thread you were all for the defense budget being cut by 33%+. tell me, how are you going to fund F-22s, EFVs, DDX, the FCS program with those types of cuts? for that matter, short of cutting down the Army to 8 divisions and the USAF/USN by another 25% or so, how do we get to there with the budget we have -today-? the numbers don't add up.
                  Cutting the Army is the big one, we need to sh*t or get off the pot in A-stan and finish in Iraq. The Army should not be an standing expiditionary force to be used as the worlds poilice man. Nor should we have bases in so many countries. It should serve 3 functions- safeguard our borders, specialist fucntions and provided the cadre needed for rapid expansion. An expansion of the Guard could do this- leaving the active army with the most technically demanding jobs. We don't need such large numbers of Strykers or MRAPS. We need just enough to train incoming units and supply the boots on the ground. Standing units of them both cost us and limit our options if a conventional war breaks out.

                  In so far as the USAF goes, I'd rather cut the F-35 to just the carrier version for more eagles and F-22's. If the F-22 could do both air superiorty and SEAD work becuase we had it in sufficient numbers the need for the F-35 goes away.


                  My single biggest complaint right now is his killing programs that are on the verge of serial production, or have entered serial production.

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