The US Department of Defense (DoD) has requested a budget of $613 billion for fiscal year 2013, with the sum representing a reduction of $31.8 billion against its approved total for FY2012.
Several high-profile programmes are being rescheduled under the proposal, which forms the first stage of an initiative intended to cut $489 billion from the DoD's budget over five years.
Initial plans had called for the US Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy to buy a combined 143 Lockheed Martin F-35s in FY2013, although this total had been revised in recent plans to as many as 70. Instead, the DoD will purchase only 28 of the aircraft, in a step which it claims will save $1.6 billion.
 |
|---|
© Lockheed Martin |
The USAF is requesting $154.3 billion, down roughly $7.3 billion from its FY2012 allocation. Key savings will be made by retiring new equipment such as the Alenia North America-supplied C-27J tactical transport and abandoning a potentially $15 billion next-generation missile programme.
Down $2.4 billion at $170.1 billion, the US Navy's request includes a delay on several flagship programmes, including the SSBN (X) and Virginia-class submarines, and slipping the schedule to introduce an unmanned carrier-launched strike aircraft.
The US Army is requesting $184.6 billion, a drop of $16.7 billion from FY2012. Changes detailed include scaling down radio and information-transmission programmes.
The DoD is also requesting almost $105 billion in additional funds to support joint programmes and defence-wide requirements.
Source: Flight International
