President Obama on Tuesday signed the Budget Control Act of 2011 into law. This legislation raises the debt ceiling between $2.1 trillion and $2.4 trillion so that the US government will not default on its bills. The act also establishes discretionary spending limits for the period of Fiscal 2012 to Fiscal 2021, although it’s not exactly clear what the ramifications will be for the Defense Department. USA Today reported Tuesday that the budget act could result in DOD cuts of up to $900 billion over 10 years, more than doubling the $400 billion in cuts for DOD over 12 years that Obama proposed in April. Conversely, McClatchy Newspapers reported (via the Kansas City Star) that the Pentagon actually could benefit from the legislation. McClatchy claims that the debt plan might only trim $350 billion. Continue
The Air Force and Boeing agreed to a nearly $2.4 billion contract for a new lot of KC-46 aerial tankers on Nov. 21. The deal, announced by the Pentagon, is for 15 new aircraft in Lot 11 at a cost of $2.389 billion—some $159 million per tail.