Well, it’s coming… I don’t have any doubt at this point…
From Wired, Danger Room…
A memo released late Thursday by Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter instructed the military to begin “reductions in flying hours, steaming days, vehicle miles, and other operations/training/support activities that address force readiness.” The services are supposed to identify cuts to “large programs” and “significant” changes to “joint programs” that they buy or operate together. (While it’s not identified in Carter’s memo, perhaps the most prominent of these is the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter family of jets.) Upcoming “ship maintenance availabilities and aviation and ground depotlevel maintenance activities” are to be cancelled; “contracts and studies” to are to be “review[ed] for cost savings”; and facilities maintenance upgrades are to be paused.
According to Carter’s memo, defense programs “closely associated with the new defense strategy” — that is, the “rebalance” to Asia and the Pacific region — are to be spared, but only “to the extent feasible.” Neither the Pentagon nor the services have specified which programs, planes, ships or R&D are “closely associated” with the new strategy. But it likely means drones, special operations forces, new jammers, next-gen sensors, and cyber weapons. It also probably means the retrofit of the USS Ponce, which the Navy is turning into an “Afloat Staging Base” to ferry commandos, Osprey tilt-rotors and other gear.
From Wired, Danger Room…
A memo released late Thursday by Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter instructed the military to begin “reductions in flying hours, steaming days, vehicle miles, and other operations/training/support activities that address force readiness.” The services are supposed to identify cuts to “large programs” and “significant” changes to “joint programs” that they buy or operate together. (While it’s not identified in Carter’s memo, perhaps the most prominent of these is the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter family of jets.) Upcoming “ship maintenance availabilities and aviation and ground depotlevel maintenance activities” are to be cancelled; “contracts and studies” to are to be “review[ed] for cost savings”; and facilities maintenance upgrades are to be paused.
According to Carter’s memo, defense programs “closely associated with the new defense strategy” — that is, the “rebalance” to Asia and the Pacific region — are to be spared, but only “to the extent feasible.” Neither the Pentagon nor the services have specified which programs, planes, ships or R&D are “closely associated” with the new strategy. But it likely means drones, special operations forces, new jammers, next-gen sensors, and cyber weapons. It also probably means the retrofit of the USS Ponce, which the Navy is turning into an “Afloat Staging Base” to ferry commandos, Osprey tilt-rotors and other gear.
The entire article is HERE.
I’m at the point that we just need to shut down the government, even if it does cost me my job… I don’t see any other option to get our government under control.
