By CHRISTOPHER P. CAVAS
In sharp contrast to Republican lawmakers’ strident calls to protect U.S. defense spending and even raise weapon budgets, a Washington think tank closely tied to the Obama administration is calling for significant reductions in many Pentagon programs, including the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), the littoral combat ship and the Ground Combat Vehicle.
“We disagree with those who argue that preserving American military pre-eminence requires maintaining or increasing current levels of defense spending,” the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) authors wrote in the report, released May 23.
But the group also warned against cutting back too much.
“We continue to believe,” they wrote, “that the defense budget can be reduced responsibly, but that total defense cuts beyond $500 billion to $550 billion over 10 years, measured relative to the Pentagon’s current level of spending, would place at high risk the U.S. military’s ability to execute America’s long-standing and generally successful military strategy of global engagement.”
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