We will not approve anything - Carter added - that could lead us to exceed the amount requested in the president's budget for the 2016. We have made considerable efforts to thoroughly evaluate, balance and finance our military apparatus.
The United States Congress asks the military every year to draw up a list of expenses that have not been budgeted. The Congress subsequently evaluates the requests by increasing the amounts in the budget, but can also decide to reverse the funds already allocated for objectives previously included in the financial instrument.
The Army, according to the requests of the Chief of Staff Ray Odierno, aims to shore up the software of existing systems, including those of the Apache AH-64E helicopters, the MQ-1C Gray Eagle unmanned aircraft and the Patriot missiles with AN support / MPQ-65 for PAC-3 units.
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The Army has requested funds for 7,58 billion dollars. The Navy, according to the chief of naval operations, Admiral Jon Greenert, could use the additional funds to improve air-to-air and anti-ship missile defenses. In particular, the Navy has requested 1,15 billion dollars for twelve new F / A-18F Super Hornets, 1,04 billion dollars for eight F-35C, 65 million dollars for another unmanned plane MQ-4C Triton and 187 million dollars for two C-40A cargo jet.
The Marina, justifying its requests, pointed out that the cells of the F / A-18 could be converted into EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft (photo on the right). In total, the Navy has requested spending items for 2,72 billion dollars.
The Marine Corps, writes the commander-in-chief, General Joseph Dunford, is trying to improve "combat readiness, modernizing infrastructure and troop equipment." The Marines requested six F-35B fighters for 1,05 billion dollars and two KC-130J aircraft for 180 million dollars.
The Air Force has requested funds for 5,47 billion dollars to be allocated to the Air Force Reserve and the Air National Guard. The Air Force has again suggested to retire the A-10 fleet, while the Navy continues to postpone the purchase of Joint Strike Fighter and F / A18 Super Hornet. Decisions that will have repercussions in the near future.
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A-10: Goodbye?
Due to the end of their operational cycle, the US Navy fleet will lose 130 aircraft by 2020. From 2020 onwards, the average will be around 100 aircraft per year. That is, a capacity below the minimum global emergency response requirements. According to the US Navy, budget cuts are forcing the military to make upcoming decisions that will have long-term repercussions on national security. The Navy is not able to buy the F-35Cs at the rate necessary to make up for the end of the operational cycle of the old cells in service.
The Pentagon - they write from the US Navy - will continue to prioritize all currently deployed forces, but without stable and predictable funding in a few years, the United States will have a smaller, vulnerable and slower-to-respond air-naval force in case of crisis.
The Air Force expects to save 4,7 billion by withdrawing the A-10 from the service, while hoping to make 470 million dollars by cutting the EC-130 fleet. The funds obtained would be immediately reversed for other programs and to overcome the block in the number of aviators currently in force.
The Air Force report reads: "The A-10 is a stellar platform, however our current structure is simply unsustainable in the new fiscal environment. We do not have enough money to put all the fighters we would like to line up. We have many limits imposed by both the Congress and the Department of Defense and we must save ".
Finally, it should be noted that Marina, Aeronautica and Marine Corps are short of ammunition. Only the Air Force asked 1,8 billion dollars for next year and 7,3 billion dollars for the following three fiscal years to buy more bombs.
Franco Iacch
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(photo: US DoD)
