“We learned in 2016 that recovering from artificial cuts is more expensive than getting it right in the first place,” David Norquist, NDIA's president and CEO, told Breaking Defense.
“We have a lot of people programs and we tried to protect those. Secondly, we tried to protect readiness. Third, we tried to protect modernization,” acting secretary John Whitley says.
It’s about improving existing platforms with autonomy, and applying AI, edge computing, quantum encryption, and sensor fusion.
Some 22 of the Army’s 35 top programs are supposed to field some kind of capability in the next four years, even as budgets drop.
“What’s that going to mean from an operational perspective?” acting secretary John Whitley asks. “What’s that going to mean from a budgetary perspective?”
“It looks like the Army’s going to take the lion’s share of the cuts,” possibly losing a tank brigade, warned Texas Republican John Carter.
Recent gains in readiness and modernization are fragile, Army leaders warned, and budget cuts would undermine the service’s ability to help the Joint Force.
The jet-powered transport’s speed, survivability and multi-mission agility position it as a viable option to the C-130 for the US and NATO allies.