SECDEF's DoD Budget Proposals

[Ken White]

What I think the most zealous opponents of the F-22 fail to consider, however, is that a modest number of aircraft means the follow-on to the F-22 could come a lot sooner than it otherwise would have.

said zealous opponents -- not to mention the SecDef, his minions and the Chief of staff of the whole USAF who allegedly acceded to the new lower number...

The real risk with this plan is that the DoD is betting on the F-35, which is still a program in development. It seems to assume there will be no more problems and the aircraft will reach IOC on time, with all the advertised capabilities at the advertised cost (which keeps rising).

I really doubt anyone has other than the expectation of teething problems. All new equipment has them. All. If that equipment pushes the state of the art, and the F-35 does, then it's beyond certain such problems will appear. We really know that and long time watchers know that by far the best way to get those problems fixed is to get the equipment in service. Long time watchers know that -- even if the GAO and the ignorant media and most in Congress do not.

On another note, the CSAR and WH bird decisions are most likely simply a time out to await the S-92 fixing the bugs in the CH 148 program. Buying American always sells; the Hook is good but dated and BIG and that other bird has mek-a-nickel probs out the wazoo...

Strategy is as necessary inside the beltway as in the broader world.

Only thing I disagree with is stopping C-17 buys. Now let's see what Obama and his and our 535 (elected) thieves do...

On another note. Okay, Steinbeck -- enjoy watching the Sea Otters off the pier after your Abalone steak...

[MikeF]

On another note. Okay, Steinbeck -- enjoy watching the Sea Otters off the pier after your Abalone steak...

Dude just remember you started it....as we descend into childish games....

Damn NCO academy, aren't you supposed to be cutting your grass as a hallmark of discipline?

v/r

Mike

[Ken White]

Damn NCO academy...

Never attended one nor that SGM academy that's lost its way (Thank all the gods!!! Thanks for my non-attendance, not that the Academy has lost its way... ).

...aren't you supposed to be cutting your grass as a hallmark of discipline?

That was always something Co / Trp Cdrs and Team Leaders worried about back in my day; not my yob -- that yob was training. Grass cutting or police call were not included in my little list of things to train or do.

Nowadays my Wife does that. Worry about the grass, that is. Been known to cut it as well. Whenever she gets tired of doing it, we just screw some barb wire pickets in the ground, fence the area with engineer tape and hang signs that say "Seeded: Keep Off" around the perimeter. Stops the neighbors muttering and backs off the Neighborhood Watch.

Whatever works...

[MikeF]

Nowadays my Wife does that. Worry about the grass, that is. Been known to cut it as well. Whenever she gets tired of doing it, we just screw some barb wire pickets in the ground, fence the area with engineer tape and hang signs that say "Seeded: Keep Off" around the perimeter. Stops the neighbors muttering and backs off the Neighborhood Watch. Whatever works...

I suppose love is simply finding someone to endure one's endless transgressions and faults.

Back to reality, it is refreshing to have a SECDEF that actually listened to Ike's musings on the military industrial complex...Rather right in choice, at least he listened.

v/r

Mike

[tankersteve]

Entropy, PM sent on tank question.

[Schmedlap]

From The Economist, A Daring Punt: Robert Gates Changes the Pentagon's Priorities

MORE men at the expense of machines; more drones rather than top-end fighter jets and future bombers; more helicopters for combat troops rather than a replacement for the presidential chopper; more coastal vessels and fewer aircraft-carriers; better cyberdefences, but scaled-back missile defences and laser weapons. In short, the new American defence budget would spend more on today’s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and less to stave off future threats from China or Russia.

The proposals have delighted those who think America will fight irregular “small wars” for the foreseeable future, and horrified those who believe it must be ready to fight big conventional ones. (emphasis mine)

I still don't understand the fear over the conventional capability. While I understand, but do not share, the concern that we do not train enough on conventional, BDE/DIV warfighting, I think it takes irrationality to a new level in worrying that this budget, too, will somehow diminish our conventional capability. The real or imagined diminishing of that capability is due to allocation of training time, not material resources.

NOTE: The comment sections of a news outlet's website are generally not the place to find intelligent discussion, but this story in the Economist bucked the trend. Check out the first 10 or so comments (click this link instead of the one at the story, to see the oldest comments first). This is one of those rare instances where reader comments actually add worthwhile commentary to the story.

In particular, see the comment by System Planner (4th comment from the top):

Mr. Gates has started a resource reallocation process without really affecting the top-line. There will be no net jobs impact. He has cleared the deck and seized the moral high ground prior to the QDR and the PR 2011 budget. In POM 2012, expect to see major surgery. His most important change is remanning the DOD civil service to provide competent acquisition oversight and a substantial in-house R&D capability. That move make DOD the master of its own fate. The day of the huge system integration contractor is rapidly passing. It really has failed miserably.

Can anyone vouch for the accuracy of that comment?

[Stevely]

In particular, see the comment by System Planner (4th comment from the top):

Can anyone vouch for the accuracy of that comment?

I have read in several places that the official word now is that the contractor workforce is too large in comparison to the rest of DOD, and that it will be reduced, and the ranks of the civil service will increase. I believe that the acquisition workforce will be entirely civil service.

Where I work (JFCOM), we have started hiring more GS (well, NSPS) and have been slowly cutting down on contractor work force via consolidating contracts, so far. So maybe it is a trend. There is certainly plenty of rumors that this will gear up in a big way.

Also, there is a big push to get anybody having anything to do with acquisition DAWIA certified, including yours truly.

[Boot]

I still don't understand the fear over the conventional capability.

I read a recent memo from JFCOM CCDR to Sec. Gates. He specifically points out that in making IW a core compentency we will not sacrifice conventional capability or nuclear forces. I believe the last sentence of the intro paragraph reads (paraphrased):
"avoid giving the impression that, if implemented, the Department was going overboard vice achieving balance with IW as a (not "the") core compontency of the Department."

Hope this sheds some light.

Boot