March 04, 2014
Gambling with Ground Forces: The 2015 Defense Budget and The 2014 Quadrennial Defense Review
The president’s FY 2015 defense budget released today finances its bet on technological superiority by gambling with ground forces according to Travis Sharp, an adjunct fellow at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS). Mr. Sharp notes, “By betting on technology over size, the FY 2015 budget intensifies the debate over whether to prioritize men or material as defense spending declines.”
Mr. Sharp writes, “Prioritizing technology over size has a strategic logic and conforms with historical practice.” However, he warns the Pentagon against focusing on high-tech modernization without simultaneously implementing policies to regenerate ground forces quickly.
Authors
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Travis Sharp
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