Cost of Warfare — Can We Really Afford It?

 

SUMMARY OF THE Department of Defense FISCAL 2012 BUDGET PROPOSAL
PRINCIPAL OBJECTIVES



The fiscal 2012 budget supports the department’s security strategy and builds on the changes
introduced by the fiscal 2010 defense budget and the fiscal 2011 budget. As in recent years, the
budget for fiscal 2012 is organized around four major themes:

1. Reaffirming and strengthening the nation’s commitment to care for the all-volunteer force,
the military’s greatest strategic asset.

2. Balancing America’s defense posture, between capabilities to prevail in current wars and
preparing for future conflicts.

3. Continuing the department’s support for troops in the field.

4. Advancing Gates’ agenda to reform the way DoD does business and shifting resources
from the defense tail to tooth.

Taking Care of People

The fiscal 2012 budget includes $142.8 billion in military personnel funding for the pay
and allowances of 2.3 million servicemembers. The budget request also supports personnel
through the $204.4 billion operation and maintenance (O&M) funding for readiness, training,
support for base operating costs, and administrative and headquarters costs. The request reflects
the department’s highest priority, which is to provide support for DoD people, whose service
ensures the security of the United States and its interests.

The President’s Budget for fiscal 2012 includes the following personnel-related
highlights:

Pay Raise. The fiscal 2012 budget includes a military basic pay increase of 1.6 percent.
The pay raise is equal to the full increase in the Employment Cost Index, as prescribed by law,
and it will keep military pay in line with raises in the private sector.
BAH / BAS. Under the budget, Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) will increase 4.2
percent, and Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS) will increase 3.4 percent.

Military Healthcare. The fiscal 2012 budget request includes $52.5 billion to fully fund
the military health system (including $32.2 billion for the Defense Health Program), which
currently serves 9.6 million eligible beneficiaries — active duty service members and their
families, military retirees and their families, dependent survivors, and certain eligible reserve
component members and their families. The proposed budget continues to fund the highest
quality care and service, while supporting the department’s ongoing effort to manage costs
responsibly.

Care for Wounded Warriors. Recognizing that the department has no greater concern
than to care for wounded, ill, and injured (WII) servicemembers, the fiscal 2012 budget includes

$2.3 billion for ongoing initiatives for the care and support of WII and their families. Of this
amount, $415 million provides for continued support of vital research involving psychological
health, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and traumatic brain injuries, as well as prosthetics, vision
and hearing loss, and other conditions resulting from current conflicts.

Military Family Support Programs. Recognizing the unprecedented demands that have
strained the All-Volunteer Force and military families since 2001, the department supports the
“President’s Initiative Supporting Military Families,” announced on Jan. 14, 2011. DoD is
requesting $8.3 billion (base) for a variety of family support programs that are critical to morale
and the well-being of service members and their families. Funds are included for child care and
youth programs, community support activities, family support centers, spouse employment, and
DoD Education Activity (DoDEA) schools that educate the children of service members in 12
countries and 7 states, Puerto Rico, and Guam.

Build and Sustain Excellent Facilities. The fiscal 2012 budget requests $12.5 billion for
military construction, $0.6 billion for BRAC-related caretaker and environmental restoration
expenses, and $1.7 billion for family housing. The fiscal 2012 budget also continues the
department’s plan begun in fiscal 2011 to replace and recapitalize more than half of the 194 DoD
schools. For fiscal 2012, the military construction investment for DoD schools is $550 million,
which will replace or modernize 15 schools.

Support Current Wars and Modernize for the Future

The fiscal 2012 budget continues the effort to seek a better balance in the U.S. defense
posture — between the risks America faces and limited resources, and between capabilities
needed for current conflicts and those needed for future wars. To that end, the administration has
acted decisively to prioritize the weapons and systems that DoD buys. The objective has been to
end troubled programs and to achieve a better balance between capabilities needed to succeed in
the current or most likely conflicts and capabilities needed to prepare for possible future
conflicts.

The President’s Budget for fiscal 2012 includes $113.1 billion for procurement and $75.3
billion for research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E). Among the highlights:

Focus on Current War Efforts:

Unmanned Aerial Systems. The fiscal 2012 budget continues strong funding for
unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) that enhance intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance
(ISR) capabilities. The base budget includes $4.8 billion to develop and procure additional
Global Hawk Class (RQ-4), Predator Class (MQ-1/9), and other less expensive, low-altitude
systems.

Rotary Wing Aircraft. The fiscal 2012 budget contains more than $10 billion to
modernize the rotary wing aircraft crucial to U.S. military operations. Included are continued
procurement of Chinook CH-47s and Blackhawk UH-60s for the Army; MH-60R, MH-60S, and
MV-22 Osprey aircraft for the Navy and Marine Corps; and CV-22 Ospreys for the Air Force.
The budget also supports development of a more advanced Apache AH-64 attack helicopter, a
replacement for Presidential helicopters, and a future search and rescue helicopter.

The Budget includes $2.3 billion for fiscal 2012 to improve cyber capabilities.
Funds would continue to strengthen the new U.S. Cyber Command (CYBERCOM), including
planning and design funds to create the Joint Operations Center for CYBERCOM at Ft. Meade,
Md. $0.5 billion in cyber technologies; and funds for training and improved situational
awareness.

Chem-Bio Defense. The fiscal 2012 budget includes $1.5 billion for the Chemical and
Biological Defense Program (CBDP), including measures to better understand potential threats,
secure and reduce dangerous materials, and prevent potential attacks.
Global Train and Equip (1206). The fiscal 2012 budget includes $500 million to train
and equip partner nations to conduct counterterrorism operations or to take part in military and
stability operations where U.S. forces are participating. The program has been a key tool in
improving the effectiveness and survivability of countries fighting alongside U.S. troops in
Afghanistan and has provided critically needed support to countries – such as Yemen and the
Philippines – confronting terrorist groups that pose a threat to U.S. national security interests.

Counternarcotics.

The fiscal 2012 budget requests $1.2 billion to fund the military’s
counternarcotic efforts. Included are funds to support efforts of combatant commanders against
drug trafficking; to collect, process, analyze, and disseminate information; and to support
domestic counternarcotic efforts. Also included in the OCO request are funds to support
counternarcotic efforts in Afghanistan.

Modernizing for Future Conflicts:

Restructure JSF. The fiscal 2012 budget request includes $9.7 billion to continue
implementing the long-term acquisition plan for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) and supports
continued development and production of three variants. Due to cost and development
problems, the JSF program has been restructured for fiscal 2012, adding more than $4 billion
over the future years defense program for system design and development and limiting
procurement to 32 aircraft. Also, because of technical issues, the short take-off and vertical
landing (STOVL) model has been placed on probation for two years, pending further successful
development. To compensate for unanticipated JSF delays, DoD plans to procure an additional
41 F/A-18s in the fiscal 2012- 2016 time frame.

Robust Shipbuilding Plan.

The fiscal 2012 budget includes $24.6 billion to support a
realistic, executable shipbuilding portfolio. The request includes $19.9 billion for procurement
and $4.7 billion for RDT&E. This budget will support procurement of 11 ships – one DDG 51
destroyer, two Virginia class submarines, four littoral combat ships (LCS), two joint high speed
Vessels (JHSVs) (one Army and one Navy), one Mobile Landing Platform (MLP), and one LPD-
17 amphibious transport dock ship. The requested amount will also support procurement of an
oceanographic ship and fund advance procurement for a new aircraft carrier (CVN 79),
additional Virginia Class submarines, and the fiscal 2013 DDG 51 class destroyer.
Long-Range Strike (LRS) Family of Systems (FoS). The fiscal 2012 budget includes
funding to begin development of a new bomber able to operate effectively in future threat
environments. The new bomber will be the key element of a long-range strike family of systems
portfolio for power projection. The new aircraft would augment and eventually replace the
nation’s current bomber fleet. It would be long-range, carry precision-guided conventional
weapons, and be nuclear-capable. It would also be optionally manned which will provide
enhanced mission flexibility.

Missile Defense. The fiscal 2012 budget advances the administration’s missile defense
approach. It includes $10.7 billion for ballistic missile defense programs – including $8.6 billion
for the Missile Defense Agency (MDA). This funding includes an additional $780 million to
increase regional radars, continue MDA’s flight test program, add additional ground-based
interceptors (GBI), and hedge capabilities against potential threats. It also includes more than $2
billion for missile defense systems required to implement the European Phased Adaptive
Approach, which will field its initial phase in the 2011 time frame.

SSBN(X). The fiscal 2012 budget continues the research and development program for
the next generation ballistic missile submarine, a vital part of the nation’s nuclear triad which
also includes aircraft and land-based ballistic missiles.

KC-X Tanker. Funds are included in the fiscal 2012 budget to continue progress towards
a contract award for 179 new KC-X aerial refueling tankers. The new tanker aircraft will replace
one third of the U.S. tanker fleet. Tankers will be produced at a maximum rate of 15 aircraft per
year. The contract is valued at approximately $35 billion.

Science and Technology. The fiscal 2012 budget includes robust funding of $12.2 billion
for science and technology programs. To enable our forces to sustain their technological
superiority, Gates directed DoD to fund two percent real growth in basic research and to
maintain stable funding in the rest of S&T for the fiscal 2012 – fiscal 2016 period. In real terms,
the fiscal 2012 S&T budget request is almost 29 percent greater than the request in fiscal 2000.
Nuclear Modernization. The fiscal 2012 budget supports the close partnership between
DoD and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) by including $2.2 billion over
fiscal 2012-fiscal 2016, primarily for modernization of the nuclear weapons complex and
sustainment of the stockpile.

Supporting Our Troops in the Field

In addition to the department’s base budget, the fiscal 2012 request includes $117.8
billion to support troops engaged in Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) primarily in
Afghanistan and Iraq. The request includes:

 

• $79.7 billion to support operations continuing in Afghanistan and an orderly withdrawal
from Iraq.
• $10.1 billion for counter-IED efforts and other force protection.
• $11.9 billion for reconstituting equipment — repairing and replacing equipment lost and
damaged as a result of ongoing operations.
• $12.8 billion to train and equip Afghanistan Security Forces.
page 5
• $1.9 billion to support temporary increases in Army end strength.
• $0.4 billion for the Commander’s Emergency Response Program (CERP).
• $0.5 billion for the Afghanistan Infrastructure Fund (AIF).
• $0.5 billion to assist in Iraq transition.

Reforming Departmental Operations

To make the most of taxpayer dollars and to fulfill its vital mission most effectively, the
Department of Defense is continuing to reform the way it does business.
The fiscal 2010 and fiscal 2011 budgets ended a number of major programs that were no
longer needed or that were troubled by cost or execution problems. During preparation of the
fiscal 2012 budget, DoD continued a comprehensive search for efficiencies, focusing on its
business operations. This far-reaching effort resulted in savings totaling $178 billion in fiscal
2012 to 2016.

The military services themselves developed savings of about $100 billion. These savings
were achieved through improvements in business practices, reorganizations, and streamlining of
lower-priority programs. The military services also restructured or terminated some programs.
The Army, for example, will terminate procurement of the SLAMRAAM surface-to-air missile
and the Non-Line-of-Sight Launch System, while the Marine Corps will terminate the
Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle (EFV) which would have consumed $12 billion in future
procurement budgets.

The military services will reinvest this $100 billion in savings, as they occur, to meet
important requirements. About $28 billion will be used over the next five years to deal with
higher-than-expected operating expenses, including costs for sustainment of weapon systems,
depot maintenance, base support, flight hours and other training. In the absence of the efficiency
initiatives, these higher costs would have led to cuts in investment. The remaining savings of
about $70 billion will be devoted to high priority warfighter capabilities – including initiation of
a new long-range bomber program in the Air Force; accelerated modernization of the Army’s
Abrams tanks, Bradley Fighting Vehicles, and Strykers; acquisition of six additional Navy ships;
and repair and refurbishment of Marine equipment.

The department has also developed additional efficiencies and other changes, which
result in a $78 billion topline reduction from the fiscal 2011 budget plan. These savings were
achieved through DoD-wide personnel changes, including holding the civilian workforce at or
below fiscal 2010 levels and a two-year freeze on civilian salaries, a reduction in the number of
contractors, and a cut in both flag and general officer billets and the number of civilian senior
executives. Other reforms involved military healthcare and streamlining of the DoD
organization by disestablishing organizations that are no longer needed, including the Joint

Forces Command and the Business Transformation Agency.

The President’s Department of Defense fiscal 2012 budget request continues Gates’
reform agenda, which is designed to change the way the department operates. The proposed
budget continues the focus on improving capabilities to fight today’s wars while also investing
substantially in capabilities to counter the full range of potential threats the United States is
facing today or may face in the future. Above all, the proposed budget takes care of DoD’s
people – our highest priority.

 

===============================

Open Directory Project – other sites that maybe of interest to you:

 

 

 

 

Author: ailtso on March 30, 2011
Category:

Leave a Reply