Rear Adm James J. Carey (Ret).
Financial Times
Sir, Even if the Pentagon’s new defence strategy is workable (“Pentagon to focus on China and Iran”, report, January 6), there is no guarantee that Congress will fund it. If we need – as defence secretary Leon Panetta argues – a leaner, nimbler military, then leaders need to put their money where their mouths are and invest in air power, satellites, drones, and other high-speed, long-reach capabilities.
But the trillion-dollar “sequestration cuts” triggered by the debt ceiling deal make those investments impossible, requiring deep across-the-board reductions that treat all capabilities the same, cutting surveillance satellites as much as office supplies. Billions in cuts under former defence secretary Robert Gates have already pruned defence to historic lows, just 16 per cent of the budget compared with a post-Vietnam average of 21 per cent, causing a readiness crises. Over half of deployed naval aircraft aren’t mission-ready, and the average US fighter jet is 23 years old, often older than its pilot!
Congress needs to rethink budget sequestration so that Pentagon planners can cut smart while still bringing the right equipment to the field, otherwise it won’t matter how good the strategy is on paper.
James J. Carey, National Chairman, Flag and General Officers Network, Alexandria, VA, US
