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Major programmes to remain intact
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| 08 February 2006 |
By Joshua Kucera JDW Staff Reporter; Ramon Lopez JDW Correspondent & Andrew Koch JDW Contributing Strategic Editor
Washington, DC
The US Department of Defense (DoD) has requested a budget that will leave all major programmes intact and allow modest moves toward transforming to a force better suited to fighting long wars against unconventional enemies.
The USD439.3 billion request for Fiscal Year 2007 (FY07) is an increase from the budget of USD410.8 billion the previous fiscal year but slightly below the figure the DoD had projected it would need.
The budget must now be passed by Congress, which can alter the bill.
Air Force
The air force's spending budget provides for an increase in special operations forces, accelerated procurement of UAVs, development of a new long-range strike platform and the gradual retirement of older aircraft such as the B-52 bomber, the U-2 spy plane and the F-117A stealth aircraft, all requested in the recent Quadrennial Defense Review.
The service's request looks to establish a dedicated special operations forces (SOF) UAV squadron, equipped with Predator drones operated by Air Force Special Operations Command airmen and dedicated to irregular operations.
Existing air force Predators are based at Creech Air Force Base in Nevada and will be operated by the Air National Guard in the future, but US Special Operations Command has yet to determine a final home for the new SOF unit.
Army
The Future Combat Systems (FCS) will get USD3.7 billion in funding: up from USD3.1 billion in FY06.
The army is also scaling back plans to increase its number of combat brigades. The service had planned to increase its current 48 combat brigades to 77, but the army, at the direction of the QDR, will now field 70 brigades. The other seven brigades will become engineer or other support brigades in an effort to save money.
It remains to be seen, however, whether Congress will accept a reduction in combat power as the army is stretched by its obligations in Iraq and Afghanistan. One army official, speaking on condition of anonymity, suggested that the full funding of FCS and scaling back the number of combat brigades could be a DoD signal to Congress of how important FCS is to the army.
Navy
The Department of the Navy has requested USD127.3 billion in FY07, up USD4.4 billion from the budget ultimately appropriated for the previous year. The budget contains a number of continuing navy priorities, including the movement toward sea-based forces, as well as the development of vessels such as the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) and the creation of new riverine squadrons to project naval power closer to shore and up inland water ways.
As expected, the budget includes funds for the first two DD(X) destroyers in FY07 and a total of five DD(X)s through FY11. In that year, the navy plans to buy its first CG(X) cruiser, raising questions of whether production of DD(X) will be stopped or continue in parallel with the future cruisers.
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