Weapons Cuts In 2015 Budget Leave Soldiers, Marines At Risk
Weapons Cuts In 2015 Budget Leave Soldiers, Marines At Risk by Loren Thompson, Forbes
When the Obama Administration sends its proposed 2015 defense budget to Congress on March 4, two high-profile armored vehicle programs will be missing in action. A new Amphibious Combat Vehicle to get marines safely from ship to shore in future conflicts has been indefinitely delayed. And a new Army Ground Combat Vehicle designed to provide better battlefield mobility and protection for a nine-soldier rifle squad has also been shelved. Both moves make it more likely that large numbers of U.S. ground forces will die in future wars. What happened?
What happened was spending cuts mandated by the 2011 Budget Control Act, combined with the unwillingness of Congress to permit trims to activities that might have an impact on constituents. The budget law has capped defense spending while congressional efforts to insulate voters have prevented policymakers from closing unneeded bases, retiring aged weapons, or altering military benefits. So a disproportionate share of the savings required to comply with the spending caps is coming out of what the military calls “modernization,” meaning investments in new technology…
