Flattening defense budget will place priorities on military modernization, and eliminate legacy programs
WASHINGTON – If the U.S. faces a tighter defense budget in the coming years, departmental planners should look to cut legacy programs first to preserve money for modernization, says Defense Secretary Mark Esper. Defense News reports. Continue reading original article
The Military & Aerospace Electronics take:
14 May 2020 -- “Frankly, my inclination is not to risk any in the modernization programs; it’s to go back and pull out more of the legacy programs,” Esper said earlier this month.
“We need to move away from legacy [programs] and we need to invest those dollars into the future. We have a lot of legacy programs out there right now. I could pick dozens out from all branches of the services. So that is where I would start,” he continued.
“What that would mean is probably accepting some near-term risk, but I think that is something [that has to happen], given the trajectory that we see China is on, and we know where Russia may be going in the coming years. So that is one place where I would begin, but we’re going to be working through this course of action.”
John Keller, chief editor
Military & Aerospace Electronics
