The Global Recession and Defense Budget Cuts

[onslaught]

I don't know if there already is a thread on this but I'll post it anyway.

With the global economic recession, there are likely to be large defense spending cuts in the US defense budget. There have been various suggestions in what to cut ranging from scrapping the DDG-1000 program to cutting F-22 production to reducing funding for Future Combat Systems. What do you think the US should cut out of the budget, if anything? What should maintain the highest priority and stay on the budget?

I'd also like to hear opinions on how other countries are dealing with the recession in terms of defense spending. Thanks.

 

[kato]

The funny part in comparison is that other countries increase defence spending now in order to support domestic industry. Germany is adding 506 million Euro in defence-related spending additional for that exact purpose, spread over the 2009 and 2010 financial years.

256 million out of that sum is applied to projects across the board that had been postponed or stretched - armored tanker trucks, additional Dingos, additional Fenneks, an additional LePzMrs prototype, a thousand MP7A1 machine pistols, a survey vessel for the Bundeswehr research branch, speeding up modification of MCM equipment on Navy vessels, and some 20 million for combat drone development as the main projects. The other 250 million is going towards building measures and refurbishments on bases, creating jobs in the construction industry and small businesses.

 

[Feanor]

Russia has recently announced that the procurement budget (after recently being raised) will not be cut.

 

[Tavarisch]

Sad to say, I don't honestly know anything that's going on with Malaysia. Except that we are probably gonna replace our Nuris, which some soldiers have said that in the outbreak of war, it would kill more of our people rather than our enemies. (I do not support this notion)

And, of course the procurement of the M4/M16 to replace our poorly manufactured Steyrs. We just bought 48 PT91Ms and that's about it.

For the US, it would be wise for them to completely cut down on defense spending. They're in trillion dollars in debt and if they can't pay for that, chances are we're gonna have something worse than the Depression. They should stop procuring more of those V-22s and slow down the FCS.

 

[nevidimka]

I don't know if there already is a thread on this but I'll post it anyway.

With the global economic recession, there are likely to be large defense spending cuts in the US defense budget. There have been various suggestions in what to cut ranging from scrapping the DDG-1000 program to cutting F-22 production to reducing funding for Future Combat Systems. What do you think the US should cut out of the budget, if anything? What should maintain the highest priority and stay on the budget?

I'd also like to hear opinions on how other countries are dealing with the recession in terms of defense spending. Thanks.

I thought the DDG 1000 has already been scrapped. The 2 types of DDG 1000 class that was approved for construction will be the only DDG 1000 to be built. Further plans have been scrapped and will be replaced with the previous gen DDG's.

 

[luccloud]

I don't know if there already is a thread on this but I'll post it anyway.

With the global economic recession, there are likely to be large defense spending cuts in the US defense budget. There have been various suggestions in what to cut ranging from scrapping the DDG-1000 program to cutting F-22 production to reducing funding for Future Combat Systems. What do you think the US should cut out of the budget, if anything? What should maintain the highest priority and stay on the budget?

I'd also like to hear opinions on how other countries are dealing with the recession in terms of defense spending. Thanks.

Cutting miltary spending is be the most logical path so.... NO, absolutely no way any Country will do that. Govt have a very unique ways of failing, the chances are that many countries will increase their miltary spending to compensate for their economic insecurity and small p***is.

 

[exported_kiwi]

Traditionally, as civilian sector jobs dry up in recessions such as we're seeing now, military jobs become more attractive so the payroll costs go up. I can see no reason why the budget(S) must be cut, but increasing operational costs should be taken from procurement budgets to ensure retention etc. Procurement should be kept at a level to merely replace worn out/ obsolete equipment. R & D should be sacred and should never be touched. Eventually, the costs associated with overseas deployments, either in combat or not, will diminish as the need to save the money arises. BRAC isn't the right way to cut costs as it it costs local communities more money than it saves...IMO.
Maybe it's time for the US to bring her forces home and spend the money within the US rather than outside. There can still be "tripwire" forces where needed and plans for afst deployment to those areas formulated, but I really think that the US and her people would appreciate the money spent on overseas deployments be spent inside the US these days. It'd create employment, keep those bases open and a lot of military families would be happier!
Just my 2 cents folks!