THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, December 20, 1994 TAG: 9412200024
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
LENGTH: Short : 46 lines
The Pentagon has decided to slow or cancel several weapons programs and to shift the $7.7 billion saved in the process to readiness, pay increases and improved living conditions for troops.
In August, Deputy Defense Secretary John Deutch ordered the armed services to find $20 billion in weapons-development funds to cut. A decision by the president to increase overall defense spending has eased the need to cut quite so deeply.
The plan announced by Defense Secretary William Perry would cancel a radar-evading missile, essentially eliminate the Army's Comanche helicopter program by building only two prototypes and cut the number of Aegis destroyers built from 18 to 16. Since the Aegis contractors are in Maine and Mississippi, Hampton Roads will emerge unscathed.
Other actions include a delay in developing an advanced amphibious assault vehicle and a decision to put off spending on a third Seawolf attack submarine until fiscal 2002. The Marines' controversial tilt-wing plane, the V-22 Osprey, has been on the chopping block repeatedly but has survived again. So has the Air Force F-22 fighter with only minimal cuts.
In general, the program outlined by Mr. Perry attempts to balance prudently alarm about degrading readiness against the need to maintain essential elements of the defense-industry infrastructure.
Administration critics have claimed many U.S. troops are unready to fight due to a lack of training, equipment shortages and the like. The Pentagon has acknowledged pockets of unreadiness but denies the problem is widespread.
The critics argue for increases in defense spending and deeper cuts in programs like the Seawolf that they regard as pork. But anything that would doom unique defense contractors must be undertaken with caution.
The need for these decisions is the latest reminder that a post-Cold War environment means reshuffled priorities and difficult trade-offs. Once, procurement of these weapons would have gone full speed ahead. But with funds tighter and in the absence of a prospective foe that is technologically competitive, slowing procurement to enhance readiness is the way to go. by CNB