The Pentagon will cut its weapons program by $10 billion

Politico reported that the Pentagon will reduce its spending by $10 billion this year in line with the agreement between US President Joe Biden and congressional leaders to raise the national debt ceiling.

In an article quoted by two American officials and a congressional aide, this newspaper wrote: The Pentagon will reduce weapons programs to stay within the framework of the debt agreement, and the department will accept a $10 billion cut below the spending ceiling approved by Congress. /p>

According to Politico, the cuts will notably include spending plans for fifth-generation F-35 fighter jets and attack submarines, in addition to the military’s helicopters and drones. The total cuts are estimated to be a little more than 1 percent of the Pentagon’s total budget of around $850 billion.

Although the percentage appears small compared to the Pentagon’s total spending, the two officials said the bulk of the cuts would affect weapons modernization programs, given the inability to affect military pay increases and other employee bills. .

The cost cuts will affect all branches of the U.S. military, as sources told Politico that the Navy is discussing cutting costs for the Virginia-class nuclear submarines.

The U.S. Army is abandoning a long-planned modernization of its OH-58 Kiowa multirole helicopter fleet and is completing an end-of-life modernization program for the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk as well as its drone fleet.

In the case of the US Air Force, this year the purchase costs of fifth generation F-35 fighters will decrease by eighteen percent.