OT: Gates' defense plans

[Mr Punch]

Cuts to:

F22 production
shipbuilding waste
Future Combat Systems
presidential helicopter
new bomber development
communications satellite building
anti-missile systems
navy and airforce reduction

Extra budget to:

drones
special forces training
army and marine corps numbers
body armour
armoured vehicles
surveillance and intel

I think it's a good budget. Anyone else?

[Drake]

Concur. ...

[Mr Punch]

This could be a boring thread.

[Mr Punch]

OK, to spice it up a bit...

Shaolinlueb: why do you think it doesn't make any difference?

And those of you who supported Bush but think that this is a good way to go, what do you think has changed, or what do you think could change that makes this a sensible policy when you thought that Cheney and Wolfowitz's par-for-the-course warmongering escalation madness was a good idea? (Please feel free to ignore my contentious definition of Bush's policy and answer sensibly. I'm just busting your balls)

[golden arhat]

it can be argued ( so i will) that anmy nation just interested in "defence" would just invest in nuclear submarines and nothign else

a moving nuclear weapons platform thats undetectable, cool huh.

[Drake]

It's trying to strike a balance between symmetric and asymmetric warfare is all.

[sanjuro_ronin]

A military force should be the best trained, with the best equipment and the SMALLEST possible.
Especially in this day and age.
Unless you look at the military as an "offensive force".
Peacekeeping and things of that nature should be distinct from the military since the training of one ( taking lives and destruction) is opposit of the other ( protecting lives and rebuilding).

[Drake]

The US Army METL is not the same as Canada's. We need to be able to wage and win conventional wars as well as handle terrorism.

[WinterPalm]

So wait a minute, 300million Americans are spending how much to fight 200 dirty lunatics in caves?
You'd think the military would be the last thing on the minds of Americans with how their country is effectively rotting from the core.

[Drake]

So wait a minute, 300million Americans are spending how much to fight 200 dirty lunatics in caves?
You'd think the military would be the last thing on the minds of Americans with how their country is effectively rotting from the core.

It's a LOT more than 200 dirty lunatics in a cave. And don't forget we have other things to deal with as well. NK, anyone? And we're still in Kosovo.... thank you, President Clinton...

[David Jamieson]

Looks like Gates is taking a lesson from the UK.

small super capable, ultra highly trained flexible and scalable units.

I would say it's a good model moving forward, as military models go.

[WinterPalm]

It's a LOT more than 200 dirty lunatics in a cave. And don't forget we have other things to deal with as well. NK, anyone? And we're still in Kosovo.... thank you, President Clinton...

I know, I was being facetious...there's at least 210 bad guys out there.
But really, when I occasionally flip on the American news, Canadian news or even the BBC, it's all about how America is imploding...and yet world domination still takes the forefront?

I'd like to see America pull all of it's troops to it's own borders, have a well equipped DEFENSE force, and stop spending half a trillion on its war machine, and maybe use the money for something worthwhile.

[Shaolinlueb]

mr punch

F22 production - i really wanted aircraft like robotech but thats still a couple years off.
shipbuilding waste - i do not understand this. they talking about recycling more or cutting recycling?
Future Combat Systems - could help us down the line.
presidential helicopter - agree unless his is 30 years old.
new bomber development - hmm i guess our bombers are good.
communications satellite building - could always use good comm satellites especially if we still have analog ones out there.
anti-missile systems - with the nuclear missle population growing smaller i can see this.
navy and airforce reduction - let each service grow on its own.

Extra budget to:

drones - terminator will happen, mark my words.
special forces training - agree with.
army and marine corps numbers - let each service grow on its own.
body armour - dragon armor for the win
armoured vehicles - yep
surveillance and intel - always

[sanjuro_ronin]

The US Army METL is not the same as Canada's. We need to be able to wage and win conventional wars as well as handle terrorism.

Well...you don't really NEED to do that.

[Shaolinlueb]

I'd like to see America pull all of it's troops to it's own borders, have a well equipped DEFENSE force, and stop spending half a trillion on its war machine, and maybe use the money for something worthwhile.

unfortunately we are the police of the world. USA gets scrutinized for policing. then we will get scrutinized for not helping. the world needs to make up their minds. it will go to sh*t in some areas if we leave. USA is in places because we are head of u.n. security council.

Well...you don't really NEED to do that.

unfortunately we do SJ. when sh*t goes wrong in the world, who does everyone look at to help? the USA.