From Nextgov:Facing the prospect of several lean years after a decade of rapidly expanding budgets, the Defense Department will need to make difficult spending decisions, potentially including more cuts to weapons systems in FY11 and beyond, according to a report.
Today's report from the nonpartisan Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments concluded that an expected flat-line in defense spending - combined with anticipated growth in personnel costs - will restrict growth in research and development and in procurement accounts.
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My Comment: Health care costs alone will blow up the Defense Budget in the next ten years. When one also add general operating expenses, procurement plans and R&D projects .... escalating war costs in Afghanistan (and who knows where else) .... a budget crunch on the U.S. defense budget will be all but inevitable.
My gut tells me that the big changes are going to happen next year. $1.8 trillion dollar deficits are not sustainable for any period of time .... and the deadline to reconcile this will probably start next year (if not sooner), with the U.S. defense Budget being the number one target for cuts.