HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.COM --------------------------- http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?i=4465542&c=AME&s=TOP
Defense News January 22, 2010 Lynn Lays Out Pentagon Budget Priorities By JOHN REED -Lynn...laid out the Pentagon's aerospace acquisition priorities for the new decade. They will, among other things, put the Defense Department on a permanent footing to fight both low-intensity conflicts to maintaining air dominance and the ability to strike any target on Earth at any time. -The next air warfare priority for the Pentagon is developing a next-generation, deep-penetrating strike capability that can overcome advanced air defenses....Next on the list is developing a redundant, resilient space infrastructure that can survive cyber and physical attack.... U.S. Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn this week reiterated the criteria that senior Pentagon leaders have used to determine which weapon programs will be cut or curtailed in the soon-to-be released fiscal 2011 defense budget. The Pentagon's No. 2 official did not delve into specific programs. "Our criteria for exercising program discipline are clear: programs that are performing poorly, either over budget or behind schedule or delivering less capability than promised, open themselves up to reconsideration," Lynn said during a Jan. 21 speech in Washington. Two categories of programs that may be cut include niche efforts with "admittedly elegant" but costly capabilities, and those with redundant capabilities, said the deputy defense secretary. Lynn also laid out the Pentagon's aerospace acquisition priorities for the new decade. They will, among other things, put the Defense Department on a permanent footing to fight both low-intensity conflicts to maintaining air dominance and the ability to strike any target on Earth at any time. "Our dominance in conventional warfare has led adversaries to seek new avenues to challenge us, particularly, asymmetric and anti-access tactics," Lynn said. "Insurgents wield [improvised explosive devices] that can penetrate even the most heavily defended armor; terrorists and rogue nations are seeking weapons of mass destruction." To this end, the Pentagon will continue to redirect resources until irregular warfare achieves "the full institutionalization" of the ability to win low-intensity conflicts around the world, said Lynn, who did not elaborate on which resources would be redirected. Lynn said the Pentagon's next priority is the controversial F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. His comments come one day after Gen. Norton Schwartz, the U.S. Air Force's chief of staff, acknowledged that the Pentagon is moving to extend the combat jet's test schedule and slow its initial purchases to "mitigate risk" in production models late in the decade. "Using readily available technology, potential adversaries are improving radars, sensors, jammers and weapons," Lynn said. "To give our air and ground forces the freedom of movement that our air superiority underwrites, we are heavily investing in the F-35," he said, adding that the F-35 remains at the heart of the United States' tactical aviation fleet. The next air warfare priority for the Pentagon is developing a next-generation, deep-penetrating strike capability that can overcome advanced air defenses, Lynn said. This will likely be made possible by fielding a mix of long-range weapons, ranging from stealthy manned bombers to ballistic missiles, according to Lynn. "The long-range strike mission today is more fraught with challenges than it has been in memory," he said. "We're learning that there is not a single solution to our needs, so we will be maturing a portfolio of capabilities: manned and unmanned, penetrating and stand-off, ballistic and cruise." Next on the list is developing a redundant, resilient space infrastructure that can survive cyber and physical attack, Lynn said. =========================== Stop NATO http://groups.yahoo.com/group/stopnato Blog site: http://rickrozoff.wordpress.com/ To subscribe, send an e-mail to: [email protected] or [email protected] Daily digest option available. ============================== --------------------------- ANTI-NATO INFORMATION LIST --^---------------------------------------------------------------- This email was sent to: [email protected] EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.bNM5nn.YXJjaGl2 Or send an email to: [email protected] For Topica's complete suite of email marketing solutions visit: http://www.topica.com/?p=TEXFOOTER --^----------------------------------------------------------------
