Obama Plan Would Reduce Defence Budget By A Half-Trillion Dollars

The sweeping defense strategy announced by the Obama administration Thursday places a greater emphasis on the use of UAVs and cyberwarfare, and would reduce the number of active military troops significantly. “Yes, our military will be leaner,” President Obama said, “but the world must know the United States is going to maintain our military superiority with armed forces that are agile, flexible and ready for the full range of contingencies and threats.”

While President Obama and Defence Secretary Leon Panetta offered few specifics about the shape of the U.S. military in the coming years, they did say that the military budget would be reduced by some $487 billion, which is reportedly more than was appropriated at the end of the Bush administration. The troop levels will be drawn down between 76,000 and 114,000 personnel

But while Reuters reports that one aspect of the plan calls for an increase in the use of unmanned aerial systems moving forward, Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter said the F-35 is "still in the mix."

Responding to a question about the program, which is the most expensive ever undertaken by the defense department, Carter said “We want it -- we want it to succeed.”

Major changes in every category of the budget and reduced modernization are necessary as a result of slowed defense spending growth, Carter said.

“Where we invest, and how intensively we invest, will be shaped by [the strategy],” he added.

FMI: www.defense.gov