Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has ordered Pentagon planners to draft strategies for
potential cuts to five of the military’s most expensive weapons
programs.
Rumsfeld ordered studies by Sept. 1 of the Lockheed Martin
Corp. F-22 fighter; the Boeing Co.-United Technologies Corp.
Comanche helicopter; the Boeing-Textron Inc. V-22 Osprey tilt-
rotor aircraft, the Northrop Grumman Corp. CVNX aircraft carrier;
and, a new space-based radar for continuous surveillance of an
adversary such as North Korea.
“In some cases, we will forego currently planned weapons
systems to invest in capabilities that will reduce future risk,”
Rumsfeld writes in an internal order guiding the fiscal 2004-2009
budget. The space-based radar program hasn’t begun so no cost is
projected; the other four programs total about $167 billion.
Rumsfeld says the U.S. can’t afford all the weapons now in
the pipeline and still spend what’s needed on technologies to
counter new, “non-traditional” threats posed by terrorist groups
and rogue states.
Beyond Cash Donations: How New Forms of Giving Are Transforming Not-for-Profit Accounting
Evolving Funding Landscape for Not-for-Profits Not-for-profit organizations are being asked to do more with less,…
Learn More
“Potential adversaries are investing in advanced military
technologies and cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles to
deliver them, electronic and cyber warfare, as well as means to
counter or negate clear U.S. advantages such as our space
capabilities,” he writes in the “Defense Planning Guidance”
issued May 3 and obtained by Bloomberg News.
Opportunity
Because no foe threatens the U.S. in a conventional war for
the foreseeable future, the U.S. has a chance to modernize,
Rumsfeld writes.
“Potential adversaries are either less powerful in absolute
terms than they were 10 years ago or, despite selective
modernization efforts, remain less capable relative to U.S. and
allied forces,” he states.
“As a result, the U.S. currently enjoys a window of
opportunity to prepare for the future. If we use this opportunity
wisely, we will leave U.S presidents with a portfolio of
capabilities that lessens the likelihood of surprise,” he wrote.
Rumsfeld “appears to be re-instilling the vision that was
part of President (George W.) Bush’s defense plans — namely that
a current generation of weapon systems should be skipped in order
to pay for the development costs of a new generation of
technologies,” said Byron Callan, a defense analyst with Merrill
Lynch & Co. Inc.
