MichaelMoore.com

Spec ops, helos are 2011 budget winners

By John T. Bennett / Army Times

The Pentagon’s 2011 budget will seek nearly $10 billion for the “acquisition of modern rotary wing aircraft.” About one-third of that amount will go toward buying new Chinook and Black Hawk helicopters.

The plan also includes funds to boost special operations forces, according to a draft overview of the spending request obtained by Army Times.

The Obama administration’s 2011 Pentagon spending request follows a tumultuous 2010 Pentagon budget process that saw Defense Secretary Robert Gates cancel, restructure or otherwise alter about 50 major U.S. weapons programs. It is due to be sent to Congress on Feb. 1.

“Since taking office, Secretary Gates has taken decisive action to increase the capabilities available to our deployed forces — especially those forces in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan,” the summary says.

The summary does not include a DoD-wide top-line number, but is chock-full of program funding lines.

For special operations forces, the 2011 budget will call for $6.3 billion for U.S. Special Operations Command, which the summary calls a “6 percent” boost from this fiscal year. The added funds would be used to buy new gear and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets and to improve existing ones and for training and communications systems.

“DoD plans to call for SOF funding to continue to increase sharply over the next several years,” the summary says. It also will propose adding 2,800 new special operations personnel.

For the Army’s ground forces modernization program, the budget plan will support a program to develop and field a new next-generation ground combat vehicle — but it does not include a funding amount.

“The design of the new program will take into account the success of Mine Resistant Ambush Protected [MRAP] vehicles in Iraq and Afghanistan,” the summary says.

Over the past year, senior Pentagon officials — including Gates — have sounded alarms about the military’s helicopter fleet and industrial base. To that end, the budget will ask Congress for $9.6 billion “for the acquisition of a variety of modern rotary wing aircraft,” the summary says.

The list includes:

• $1.4 billion for Army UH-60 Black Hawks.

• $1.2 billion for Army CH-47 Chinooks.

• $2.7 billion for V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft.

• $1.7 billion MH-60R/S Sea Hawks for the Navy.

The budget also will propose creation of two combat aviation brigades by combining existing aviation platforms to create a 12th active-duty brigade in fiscal 2011. It also will set in motion efforts to field a 13th in fiscal 2015.

Meantime, the 2011 spending blueprint also will support one of Gates’ other primary focus areas: bolstering the military’s intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance portfolio.