U.S. President Barack Obama on Tuesday unveiled his 2015 fiscal budget and, as expected, it includes significant cuts in military spending. The budget includes a $496 billion defense budget that trims the size of the armed forces and calls for the elimination of several weapons systems.
The plans are controversial in the United States and have even engendered some questions among U.S. allies. As recent events on the Crimean Peninsula remind us, the threat of conflict remains real and the world's remaining superpower, and Japan's only ally, must remain prepared for contingencies.
The U.S. has been on a war footing for more than a decade. Now it plans to cut, if not eliminate, its troop presence in Afghanistan; therefore, a reduction in the U.S. military budget is to be expected. A country's "peacetime" military posture should be smaller and less expensive. The austerity mentality that has descended upon U.S. politicians and planners did not exempt the military. New spending guidelines and constraints demand cuts at the Pentagon.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.