What does the Defense Department want from Congress?

Well the Pentagon has sent its wish list up to Capitol Hill and there the battles will continue. There are many fights going on and some of the most pitched are around programs to modernize our forces, DefenseTech take a quick look at the funding requests for those.

"Let’s start of the with F-35 program. It’s getting a total of $9.4 billion under the request with more cash put into R&D funding for the jet while reducing the total buy of F-35s in 2012 to 32 jets and locking the troubled F-35B Short Take Off and Vertical Landing version into a two year probationary program.

Next, let’s talk long range nuclear strike. The Pentagon is asking for $2 billion to fund the Air Force’s new long range bomber and sustaining its Minuteman III ICBMs along with modernizing the Navy’s Trident III submarine launched ballistic missiles.

Another $1 billion is being requested to fund research into the SSBN(X) ballistic missile submarine replacement program.

The request also extends Navy F/A-18E/F Super Hornet buys through 2014 with $2.4 billion to buy 28 Super Hornets in FY-12. (These are being bought to offset delays in the F-35 program.) Another $1.1 billion is being requested to buy 12 EA-18G Growler electronic attack jets in FY-12."

There is more info on other programs at the link. The upcoming budget process ought to be even more interesting than usual with new Tea Party members looking to get our spending in line with our revenues. Crazy talk I know, but President Obama's proposed budget goes another 10 years without balancing the budget. Who does he think is going to keep lending to us if we never stop spending.

The problem we have is that our national security needs and the dangerous world we live in don't take time off because we have spent all the money we could find. Entitlements are the real budget killers and any real cuts will have to come out of those. The effects to our readiness and ability to deter others from causining trouble can start as soon as we are seen as weakening. We need to hold firm on the mainstays of our ability to project strength, and if we need to cut some federal spending I would prefer a few bureaucrats and regulators get the can, rather than the folks building the weapons that will protect us all.

We are betting our future security on the F-35 as our main plane. The program has had some trouble and as noted the vertical takeoff version is on double secret probation, but they other two variants are doing well.

"Military and civilian test pilots in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program said they are making good progress in testing the stealth aircraft's ability to fly at various speeds and altitudes, take off and land vertically, and operate its avionics.

Testers said the new single-engine warplane has been reliably tested up to Mach 1.2 in maneuvers up to 1 G. They are testing its ability to handle maneuvers of up to 5 Gs -- five times the force of gravity -- and angles of attack up to 20 degrees."

There is just something completely awesome about afterburner.