Talent Protests 2007 DOD Cut: Missouri Senator Jim Talent (R) has been leading a charge to restore the planned buy of C-17 airlifters from 180 to 222. Now, he tells the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he has learned of internal memos that show the White House wants to cut $7.5 billion from the Fiscal 2007 defense budget—and that is “irresponsible.” Talent claims the White House told him the 2007 budget would be about $443 billion, but now, he says, that number is being cut without any objective military analysis. Our question is: Is this in addition to the purported $32 billion cut across 2007-11? In fact, the Talent-revealed number for 2007 would be lower than the $15 billion figure for 2007 alone that surfaced earlier this year.
Lt. Gen. Dan Caine, nominee to be chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the Defense Department needs to upgrade its electronic warfare capability and its EW training ranges; just as his predecessor said at his own confirmation hearing.