• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Excelitas Qioptiq banner

BATTLESPACE Updates

   +44 (0)77689 54766
   

  • Home
  • Features
  • News Updates
  • Defence Engage
  • Company Directory
  • About
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Media Pack 2023

FORECAST INTERNATIONAL REPORT ON OBAMA ELECTION

November 15, 2008 by

FORECAST INTERNATIONAL REPORT ON OBAMA ELECTION

10 Nov 08. The election of Democrat Barack Obama as the next American president has left onlookers questioning the future of U.S. defense spending. The Pentagon under the Bush administration witnessed unprecedented budget growth as a result of towering base budgets combined with hundreds of billions of dollars in supplemental wartime funding. Given the government’s growing deficit and the fragile state of the U.S. economy, these soaring budgets would have been deemed unaffordable no matter which party entered the White House. “The tremendous spending increases of the last eight years therefore appear to have come to an end, though that is not to say that sweeping cuts are looming,” said Shaun McDougall, Forecast International’s North America Military Market analyst.
Having the biggest impact on topline spending in the near future will be the war in Iraq, as overall levels of defense spending will gradually decrease as violence declines and the pace of operations winds down. “It should be noted, however, that the military will still require significant recapitalization funds to replace lost or damaged equipment even after combat troops are withdrawn,” stated McDougall. Obama will stand by this critical investment, though he will seek to end the days of supplemental spending bills by consolidating all defense appropriations. This move will provide improved oversight of wartime funds, and could put an end to some questionable procurement strategies.

Iraq demonstrated the unpreparedness of U.S. forces to sustain prolonged ground operations, as proven by extended deployments in the face of falling readiness levels across the board. In response to these shortfalls, Obama will continue a plan initiated by President George W. Bush to expand the Army and Marine Corps by a combined 92,000 members, which will require a substantial financial commitment in terms of both personnel costs and associated equipment. The National Guard and Reserve forces have also been strained by the wars, and will require continued investment as they prepare to face future domestic and foreign challenges.

One should therefore not anticipate the same drawdown that came under President Bill Clinton following the fall of the Soviet Union. “The spending vacation of the 1990s has had a dramatic impact on today’s military, one that the Pentagon is still struggling to recover from,” McDougall states. The Air Force’s aircraft fleet continues to age, and the Navy’s 280 deployable ships are not enough to support the service’s maritime strategy. Obama says that the U.S. “must preserve [its] unparalleled airpower capabilities to deter and defeat any conventional competitors,” and adds that he would support naval recapitalization by replacing aging ships and modernizing existing platforms.

Myriad national security threats around the world will also stave off potentially crippling budget cuts. The ability to wage full-spectrum warfare is essential when potential adversaries run the gamut from decentralized non-state actors to growing conventional powers. Obama plans to continue to prepare the military to “succeed in both conventional wars and in stabilization and counterinsurgency operations,” says McDougall. His stance will likely require the Pentagon’s defense budget to continue at or slightly above inflation in the near term, and overall spending will be higher when wartime requirements are included.

This is not to say that the DoD will be impervious to today’s fiscal constraints. Each of the Pentagon’s programs will be assessed by the incoming administration, and indeed some will be reduced in scope or cut altogether. Missile defense, the Airborne Laser, and the Army’s Future Combat Systems will face the most scrutiny from an Obama administration early on, as will efforts to replace a deteriorating nuclear stockpile. Additional savings can also be expected through sorely needed acquisit

Primary Sidebar

Advertisers

  • qioptiq.com
  • Exensor
  • TCI
  • Visit the Oxley website
  • Visit the Viasat website
  • Blighter
  • SPECTRA
  • Britbots logo
  • Faun Trackway
  • Systematic
  • CISION logo
  • ProTEK logo
  • businesswire logo
  • ProTEK logo
  • ssafa logo
  • Atkins
  • IEE
  • EXFOR logo
  • DSEi
  • sibylline logo
  • Team Thunder logo
  • Commando Spirit - Blended Scoth Whisy
  • Comtech logo
  • GoExporting logo
  • Supercat logo
  • Galvion logo
Hilux Military Raceday Novemeber 2023 Chepstow SOF Week 2023

Contact Us

BATTLESPACE Publications
Old Charlock
Abthorpe Road
Silverstone
Towcester NN12 8TW

+44 (0)77689 54766

BATTLESPACE Technologies

An international defence electronics news service providing our readers with up to date developments in the defence electronics industry.

Recent News

  • On D-Day Anniversary, Austin, Milley Call on All to Defend Democracy

    June 6, 2023
    Read more
  • BATTLESPACE Counter Unmanned Air System (C-UAS) Supplement

    June 6, 2023
    Read more
  • PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS

    June 2, 2023
    Read more

Copyright BATTLESPACE Publications © 2002–2023.

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. If you continue to use the website, we'll assume you're ok with this.   Read More  Accept
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT