Defense Secretary Gates proposes weapons cuts

Note, that production of the F-35 is slated to increase though. The Army, Navy, and Marines co-developed the just as capable (and far cheaper) F-35, while the Air Force went on its own tangent. It should be clear at this point, it simply does not make any sense to mass produce the F-22.

Now, I know some people are going to say how Obama is "weakening the military", but which would you prefer: A dozen more F-22's, or some decent armor for our humvees? Obama is making a more mobile and capable military, while at the same time taking on the estabished lobbists.

Established lobbyists a/k/a war mongers who never met a weapons system they never liked as long as they get paid. Never mind the cost or whether it was requested by the U.S Military, it is called screwing the U.S Taxpayer to the tune of billions of dollars per year. It is absolutely shameful.

It's about damn time they started to reduce military spending I have read estimates that 60 to 75 percent of every federal tax dollar go's to some form of military or defense spending. Of course the official accounting claims less then 20%.

It's amazing how much you can deceive the tax payer when you resort to funny math and reclassifying military spending as non military spending.

Lets see the War in Iraq and Afghanistan, NASA, the border patrol and the Department of homeland security aren't included in that 20% Neither are the sigh up bonuses including the college tuition that military personnel get as a bonus. Whats that add up to like $30K to 60K per soldiers that they have deceitfully reclassify as non military spending. Yup got to love that funny math....

Amazingly enough the Interest on military loans, Thats right, the interest on the trillions of dollars we borrow to pay for wars is not considered military spending even though it alone adds up to a few 100 billion a year.

Heres the real Kick in the pants military retirement benefits and VA expenses aren't considered military spending either, neither is the cost for medical expenses for fixing injured soldiers or burying dead soldiers. Give the GOP enough rope and pretty soon they will have us convinced that battle ships and ammo are not military spending.

Amen, one trillion to save our economy or get healthcare for all seems like small potatos when the trade would be "or we can have a couple of thousand useless fighter planes."

Bombs or Healthcare and Education you choose.

Finally someone who has the guts to put the brakes on unrestricted DOD spending. The F-22 may be a fine fighter aircraft but it is a victim of it's own COST OVERUNS! At 140 million per copy it is just too expensive. The old saying that the USAF is just a very expensive flying club was never truer. Gates is on the mark with his new emphasis on equiping our Military with tools appropriate for the threat levels they will encounter. F-22s would not be very effective against car bombs, suicide bomb vests or airliners into buildings. Better vehicle armor, unmanned aircraft drones and spy-sats have sure taken all the fun out of warefare!

I love the idea of streamlining the military. There's far too much spent in outdated or redundant projects. It's great to see money put forward towards a more practical budget, like armor for close land assaults. I would also like to see the military get more involved with the Sikorsky line of choppers. The seahawk, in particular, is a great chopper! :)

BTW, Sikorsky makes the Blackhawk.

I enjoyed see the F-22 and what it was capable of doing, but at 140 million, is it really worth it. It seems big nations are not our issue since they tend to understand the world economy and how important it is. Its the smaller nations and group that have no national attachment that seems to be the biggest issue.

This change is long overdue.

Major overhaul plans laid out by the Obama administration's Pentagon chief would slash several giant weapons programs — and thousands of civilian jobs that go with them.

Actually, Dan, supposedly he's in Iran:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-rachel-ehrenfeld/does-iran-harbor-osama-bi_b_182026.html

Don't know if its true but seems interesting nonetheless...

Not mentioned is that the missile defense system is being cut back. So Obama wants to reduce our nuclear weapons and our ability to defend against others firing them at us.

Let's watch and see if the 'cuts in military spending' wind up cutting military PERSONNEL's paychecks. Happened in the '70s when the Dems were in charge. By the time President Reagan rescued them, they were using FOOD STAMPS to pay their grocery bills! How do I KNOW THAT? My husband LEFT the military in 1980 .. just short of 'the rescue'. We knew enlisted men and their families who USED the food stamps. Now .. you can stop spending on planes, and helicopters, ships and tanks, but when it trickles down to the PEOPLE ON THE LINE OF DEFENSE and their families .. what do all of you think of that??