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GATES FAILS... TO DISAPPOINT!
Much analysis remains, but Secretary of Defense Robert Gates has struck a staggering blow to a number of defense programs. The exciting details:
1. No more F-22s.This is why Bob Gates is still secretary of defense; Obama didn't believe that such cuts would be possible under a Democratic secretary. Noah Shachtman has some analysis; see also Spencer. Much more should be coming in the next day or so.
2. Replacement Air Force bomber delayed indefinitely.
3. Ballistic missile defense funding leans toward the Navy.
4. Aircraft carrier acquisition slowed, with the fleet eventually dropping to 10 carriers.
5. Next generation cruiser (CGX) delayed indefinitely.
6. VH-71 Presidential helicopter dead.
7. No more than three DDG-1000, and maybe only one.
8. Future Combat Systems funding slashed.
--Robert Farley
COMMENTS (5)
!Wow!
aimai
Posted by: AIMAI | April 6, 2009 4:51 PM
This is exceptionally good news. A lot of us (myself included) squawked about keeping Gates on. Once again, Obama has proven that he knows more about what he's doing than I do. I wonder now if this news portends similar vindication of his choice for Treasury, who has also caused some problems for many observers. I'm still willing to cut Obama a lot of slack on this stuff. Results like this tell me I'm right to do so.
Posted by: Lee Gibson | April 6, 2009 4:57 PM
Wow is right. Reducing the carrier battle groups to 10 is huge. So is limiting the F-22 and DDG-1000 programs. Them's a lotta big toes to step on nationwide (Boeing, Lockheed, NG Shipbldg, etc.). Good luck getting all of those cuts through Congress intact.
Posted by: Marshall | April 6, 2009 7:24 PM
Not huge cuts, just a huge initiative that will be tempered by Congress. This was a mild tweak, a necessary tweak, but carefully developed so as to not provoke a huge backlash from conservatives. It's a good first step but don't blow it up into something it's not. Business still goes on as it always has.
Posted by: J. | April 7, 2009 9:12 AM
True, "cuts" is the wrong word to describe what is really a realignment of spending priorities. Still, while the gross spending amount is going up, the reductions and limits on the individual programs themselves will have major impacts, especially on an array of aviation and maritime component manufacturers, who are the groupies of defense contracting.
Posted by: Marshall | April 7, 2009 1:05 PM