EckerNet.Com

Today Robert Gates announced some rather large cuts and out right cancellations in lots of defense programs.  Now to be sure there is a lot of fat to be cut in the budget of the Defense Department.  However, when trying to save money I\’m not sure that the most efficient of the government\’s departments is the best place to start.  Especially when it\’s probably one of only two government departments with a constitutional justification for it\’s existance.

And the timing could probably be better.   A resurgent Russia, an increasingly aggressive China, North Korea flaunting it\’s missile capabilities and an Iran that…well, it\’s Iran.  On top of that our military reserves are still a little stressed from two long engagements.  But heh, it\’s a down economy, we got to make cuts.  Why start here now, but….whatever.

Now the F-22 program has long been on the chopping block and it does have it\’s cons, as well as a lot of pros.  I wouldn\’t agree with cutting it, but if you\’re going to do it, at least do it for legitimate reasons.  Cancelling the F-22 program because it\’s futuristic is a bad reason, in fact the worse because it misses the point entirely.

The Pentagon is frequently accused of always fighting the last war.  While there is some proof to that, some of it is unfair.  Learning from and preparing for past mistakes isn\’t in itself a mistake.  Right now the Su-27 Flanker can already compete, and in capable hands, outclass our F-15s and F-18s.  Wars that are a \”fair fight\” are destined to be long, bloody and costly.  Wars where one participant holds an overwhelming advantage, frequently either never take place or are very short and minor skirmishes.  The F-22 fills that role against enemies the could potentially field the resources to make a war long, bloody and costly.

If you want to cancel a program due to inept management, fine, that makes fiscal sense.  If you think another program can better fill the role, that good prioritizing.  If a program no longer answers a legitimate threat, then that makes sense.  But cancelling a program simply because it\’s futuristic and super-sophisticated is not a good reason and so far that\’s the primary reason I\’ve heard for cancelling the F-22.