*EPF312 02/06/2002
Rumsfeld Spells Out Six Key Defense Goals to Senate Committee
(Says defense spending will push transformational objectives) (920)

By David A. Denny
Washington File Staff Writer

Washington -- Proposed increases in next year's Defense Department budget are aimed at emphasizing six "key transformational goals" that are crucial to national security, procurement, readiness and personnel salaries and benefits, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told the Senate Armed Services Committee February 5.

Defense strategy will be focused on six areas as a result of last year's Defense Strategy Review, Rumsfeld said. The six areas, with proposed funding levels, are:

-- Protecting the U.S. homeland and U.S. forces abroad: The fiscal year 2003 request is for $8,000 million, and $45,000 million over five years, an increase of 47 percent;

-- Projecting and sustaining military power in distant regions: The FY 2003 request is for $7,400 million, and $53,000 million over five years, an increase of 21 percent;

-- Denying sanctuary to an enemy [Rumsfeld explained this in a recent speech as being able to strike at enemies, no matter how far away, nor how mountainous the terrain, nor how deeply dug into the earth]: The FY 2003 request is for $3,200 million, with a five-year outlay of $16,900 million, an increase of 157 percent;

-- Protecting information networks from attack: The FY 2003 request is for $174 million, with a projected five-year outlay of $773 million, an increase of 28 percent;

-- Using information technology to link U.S. forces in order to enable them to fight jointly (as in Afghanistan): The FY 2003 request is for $2,500 million, with a total of $18,600 million over five years, a 125-percent increase; and

-- Maintaining unhindered access to U.S. space assets: The FY 2003 figure is $200 million, with a five-year outlay of $1,500 million, an increase of 145 percent.

In addition, Rumsfeld said, the FY 2003 request for procurement of equipment and spare parts is $68,700 million, an increase of 10 percent. Operations and maintenance, which includes readiness, will receive $150,000 million, and personnel salaries and benefits will receive $94,000 million, he said. The overall defense budget proposal is just under $380,000 million.

Rumsfeld also told the committee that funding for science and technology will fall short of its 3 percent intended target. And shipbuilding will not be funded fully next fiscal year, though the decline in funding cannot continue. Several senators, including Republicans John Warner of Virginia, Susan Collins of Maine and Jeff Sessions of Alabama, questioned Rumsfeld about the proposed shipbuilding reduction.

"[T]he fact is the average age of our ships is relatively young," Rumsfeld said. "And ... that is why the Navy made the choice they made -- and we can afford for a year or two to be under-building, as long as we recognize that in the out years we simply must get back up to" replacement levels, he added.

Air Force General Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also testified at the Senate hearing, and emphasized that the current anti-terrorism effort "is truly a total force effort. Unless you ask, you don't know whether you are talking to someone from the reserve or active component," Myers said.

Providing some statistics on the military effort to protect the U.S. homeland, Myers said to date over 13,000 sorties for combat air patrol have been flown over the United States, by Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve, active duty and NATO air crews.

"[T]he U.S. Air Force alone has committed 260 planes and 1,200 airmen, flying almost 57,000 hours from 29 different bases," Myers said. He added that a homeland security joint task force is providing command and control for the effort. Also, the military is assisting the U.S. Coast Guard to augment seaport security, and 7,200 National Guardsmen are posted at 444 airports. In addition, the military is "protecting many critical infrastructure sites," Myers said.

Turning to military operations in Afghanistan, Myers noted that the Taliban had been driven from power and the al-Qaida terrorist network severely degraded, while a large-scale humanitarian relief effort had been sustained simultaneously.

"The results have been achieved with about 60,000 deployed troops in the Central Command area, and about 4,000 on the ground in Afghanistan," Myers said.

Overall, Myers pointed to two goals he said are key for the U.S. military to achieve success in its worldwide commitments: 1) improve joint war-fighting capability; and 2) continue with the transformation of the armed forces.

He specified the area of command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance -- known as C4ISR -- as offering "the greatest potential payoff" for joint fighting capability. He gave as an example the creation of Standing Joint Force Headquarters within the unified commands, but said troops must train jointly as well.

As for transformation, Myers stressed that it is not just sudden, dramatic improvements in technology that cause transforming changes in military capabilities.

"[T]ransformation often results from an accumulation of incremental improvements," Myers said. He gave as an example the development of precision-guided weapons since the days of fighting in Vietnam.

"Bombs are no longer regarded as solely area weapons," Myers said. "Instead they can be used like bullets from a rifle, aimed precisely and individually." He added that the development of unmanned vehicles "is a tactical innovation that we're just beginning to explore."

A full transcript of testimony by Rumsfeld and Myers before the Senate Armed Services Committee on February 5, including all questions and answers, is available at:
http://www.defenselink.mil/speeches/2002/s20020205-secdef2.html

(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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