By Rebecca Grant, Defense Opinion Writer.
President-elect Donald J. Trump and his national security team want change in the U.S. military. They can score fast wins by correcting major defense program mistakes made by the Biden administration. Here are three quick moves for the 2025 budget, plus one where Trump’s team just has to keep up the good work.
More weapons for command in IndoPacific
This year, the U.S. IndoPacific Command has a staggering $11 billion in official unfunded priorities. Think of it as money to prevent a military disaster. It’s the highest amount of 17 unfunded priority lists. President Trump should give Adm. Samuel Paparo, a real TOPGUN fighter pilot graduate with over 1,100 carrier landings, everything he needs.
It’s the most direct way to prepare for deterring China as the 2027 threat window for an attack on Taiwan approaches. Paparo’s shopping list is essential to the number one priority: making Xi Jinping realize he won’t have an easy fight in the Pacific.
Weapons on the list include the Maritime Strike Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles, for both the Navy and the Army, Hammerhead mines and Standard Missile-6, to name a few. Paparo also needs money for military construction at Guam and other forward bases and classified space sensor programs. He’d also like $345 million for non-traditional find, fix, track and targeting. Trump should immediately fund the whole list. Throw in the acceleration of the giant Orca unmanned submarines for mine warfare and hunter-killer operations against China’s nuclear submarines, which is on the Navy’s unfunded list.
Buy the aircraft carrier USS John Adams (CVN-82)
Okay, the Navy has not named this carrier. In fact, their March 2024 budget stopped the ship buy for CVN-82 for two years, putting the ready status of the entire carrier fleet in question. To put off spending a paltry $550 million next year, the Navy’s decision has thrown the 2,000 businesses in the aircraft carrier supplier base into turmoil. Top suppliers are fed up and may have to exit the defense market. Real businesses can’t stand around and wait two years for purchase orders. Talk about penny-wise, pound-foolish. In contrast, China is building carriers and improving their night-time flight operations.
President John Adams is widely credited as the father of the U.S. Navy in part because he jumped in and made the difficult decision to fund the fledgling Navy. USS Paul Revere would be a great name, too.
Pick a winner for next generation air dominance
Trump’s new Air Force secretary should enjoy the delectable task of choosing a winner in the competition to build the next new fighter, known as NGAD. The program has been underway for ten years. Test aircraft have flown in secret, powerful and innovative new engines have been developed, and at least two industry teams are ready to go.
After years of ballyhooing about this vital program to replace the F-22, the Air Force had scheduled a contract award announcement for last summer. Then came the Biden budget for 2025. The Air Force slammed on the brakes and they are currently “studying” the program one more time. Meanwhile, literally every fighter type in the inventory including the A-10, F-16, F-15, F-15E, F-22 and F-35 are currently deployed to the Middle East to keep a lid on Iran. America wins its wars with air power. Team Trump needs to get NGAD moving on day one.
Army modernization: Keep Up the Good Work…Started Under Trump
Trump’s team should stay the course on Army modernization. The Future Long Range Assault Aircraft tiltrotor successfully passed an acquisition milestone in August. Army acquisition executive Doug Bush forged ahead with crucial munitions investments and counter-drone systems.
The Army is rolling Ukraine war lessons into the modernization program for Abrams tanks. Much of this is due to the guidance of Army Futures Command, which was set up by Ryan McCarthy, Trump’s undersecretary of the Army, in 2018. Russia’s army has expanded despite its heavy losses in Ukraine, so America will continue to rely on tanks forward in Poland and tight logistics plans all along NATO’s eastern front.
Rebecca Grant is a national security analyst and vice president, defense programs for the Lexington Institute, a nonprofit public-policy research organization in Arlington, Virginia.
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