Limited budget and problems of the US Air Force
Promising bomber B-21
Traditionally, work begins in the spring on the military budget for the next fiscal year, beginning in October. This year, the authors of the document will again have to restrain the growth of defense spending, which may cause certain difficulties or problems. In particular, the air force may experience the negative consequences of budget restrictions.
negative background
The result of the erroneous economic policies of the last several US presidents was the accumulation of record national debt. To avoid its further growth and negative consequences, a year ago, White House and Congress agreed to limit spending in the federal budgets for fiscal years 2024 and 2025.
As part of such a deal, the military budget for the new FY 2024 will be limited to $895 billion and left almost at the level of the previous year. The White House and the Pentagon had to work hard to fit various types of necessary expenses into these restrictions. At the same time, they were forced to make certain sacrifices and abandon a number of plans.
However, all these efforts have not yet yielded the desired result. Due to numerous contradictions, the federal budget for FY2024. has not yet been adopted, and government agencies are working on temporary budgets. This leads to certain problems and restrictions, which, in particular, affect the military department and various structures of the armed forces.
Work has recently begun on next year's budget. By now, the White House has managed to draw up and release the first version of the budget request. It reveals the goals and objectives of various government agencies for the next year, and also indicates the required level of funding to solve them.
F-16EX fighters
In accordance with the current agreements, the draft budget provides for maintaining military spending at approximately the same level. Earlier, at the stage of its preparation, the American press reported about a possible reduction by 1% in order to optimize government spending in general. It was assumed that the reduction in the military budget would not have a fundamental impact on the state of the armed forces.
The presidential request, as always, outlines expenses for all types of armed forces and branches of the armed forces, defines expenses for various items, etc. Now such a document must be passed through Congress and convince legislators of the need to allocate exactly the required amounts of funding. It is unknown whether the budget will be adopted without major losses. Moreover, we cannot exclude the emergence of a situation similar to the one that has developed around the current year’s budget.
Limitation of capabilities
The growth of the military budget is primarily due to inflation. An increase in nominal costs allows you to compensate for rising prices and maintain the same capabilities. Accordingly, refusal to increase the budget or its insufficient growth lead to understandable restrictions. It should be borne in mind that inflation in the United States is currently at a very high level.
Within the FY2024 budget. The Pentagon and its structures have already faced similar problems. To save money, he had to take forced, unpleasant measures. In the new year, the situation should not change for the better and it is likely that the situation will further deteriorate, which will require an appropriate response.
A significant part of the military budget is made up of expenses for salaries and various social programs for military personnel. The Pentagon must, at a minimum, maintain such spending at the same level and cannot reduce it. Savings on deploying troops and conducting various operations also do not seem possible.
F-35A fighter
In this regard, it is proposed to reduce costs by optimizing parks and arsenals, as well as by reviewing, reducing or closing promising programs. Last year's deal already had similar consequences for the FY2024 military budget, and we can expect the Pentagon to also have to abandon some of its plans next year.
Cut plans
The US Air Force uses complex and expensive materiel, the acquisition and operation of which are associated with large expenses. Drawing up production and purchasing programs aviation technology is traditionally accompanied by heated debate and often ends with a sharp reduction in the original proposals and plans. Now budget constraints are added to this problem.
The combat units of the Air Force have about 1500 combat aircraft of different classes and all main types. A fleet of this size meets the requirements, but its operation has a corresponding cost. In order to find ways to save money, it is possible to withdraw a small part of the aircraft into reserve. Most likely, these will be the oldest samples with minimal remaining life. By storing them, temporarily or permanently, the Air Force can reduce overall operating costs, as well as improve other parameters, such as the average age of combat equipment or the level of combat effectiveness.
Last year, due to the overall complexity and high cost, as well as due to military budget cuts, it was decided to reduce the production program of the deeply modernized F-15EX fighters. Previously, they planned to produce almost one and a half hundred of these machines, but now they will limit themselves to only 98 aircraft.
It is important that we are now talking about the minimum number of aircraft that can have the desired impact on the capabilities of the Air Force. A further reduction in plans, if it occurs, will allow savings, but the desired tactical and operational advantages will no longer be obtained.
There is again talk about reducing plans for the construction and adoption of the newest F-35 fighter. Earlier, at the stage of drawing up the budget request, the American press mentioned the possibility of reducing the production and purchasing plan for the next year in comparison with the current one by 15-18 percent. What volume of output will be included in the real budget will become known later.
Promising programs for the development and construction of aviation equipment have not yet faced serious cuts. Thus, work on the B-21 bomber is proceeding according to schedule and is already at the prototype testing stage. At the same time, the project is not yet threatened by current cuts in military spending. They are designed only for 2024-25, and mass production of new bombers will begin later. However, it cannot be ruled out that the proposed measures will be extended and still affect the B-21 program in the future.
It is noteworthy that not only the Air Force, but also the US Army Aviation are suffering due to budget constraints. Recently, for financial and other reasons, it had to cancel the development program for the new FARA high-speed helicopter, revise plans to modernize the AH-64 and UH-60 machines, and also reduce the fleet of some models. As a result of such events, army aviation still meets current requirements, but its future is gradually becoming vague.
Ambiguous future
The US is still the largest economy and can afford record military budgets. However, the situation is gradually worsening and requires action to be taken. Since last year, the White House, Congress and the Pentagon have been forced to limit further growth of all budgets and are trying to save themselves from more serious problems. However, such measures lead to other difficulties that do not improve the current situation.
In the coming months, the American authorities will have to work out and adopt the military budget for the next 2025. Like the unadopted document for 2024, it provides for some restrictions. The authors of the budget will once again have to decide what will have to be sacrificed, and what projects and areas cannot be touched. Whether it will be possible to create an optimal military budget in this way and adopt it within a reasonable time frame will become known in a few months.
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