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6 January 2011
Last updated at 14:42 ET
US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has announced a $78bn (£50.3bn) military budget cut, including a move to scrap a $13bn plan for amphibious vehicles.
The cuts are part of a five-year spending plan for the Defence Department and are beyond the $100bn in internal savings already announced.
Those savings will be redirected to other defence programmes, but the new cuts reduce the overall defence budget.
The plan comes as a new Congress takes office amid concerns about the deficit.
Mr Gates said on Thursday he planned to cancel the purchase of amphibious Expeditionary Fighting Vehicles (EFVs) from manufacturer General Dynamics Corp.
The vehicles, which have long been targeted by Mr Gates as a way to shrink the military's budget, are manoeuvrable on both land and water and can transport 17 fully-armed troops to land from approximately 20-25 miles offshore.
Mr Gates has been sceptical about whether large military vehicles, like tanks and EFVs, will continue to be crucial military instruments as engagement in modern warfare changes.
He has previously said the enemy has developed sophisticated weapons capable of attacking ships hovering close to shore.
Other cost-cutting measures announced by Mr Gates include plans to cut orders for the F-35 joint strike fighter over the next three to five years to compensate for repeated delays in development and testing.
The cuts come in addition to a $100bn in cuts by 2016, which Mr Gates has said should be reinvested into modernising weapon systems.
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The cuts are part of a five-year spending plan for the Defence Department and are beyond the $100bn in internal savings already announced.
Those savings will be redirected to other defence programmes, but the new cuts reduce the overall defence budget.
The plan comes as a new Congress takes office amid concerns about the deficit.
Mr Gates said on Thursday he planned to cancel the purchase of amphibious Expeditionary Fighting Vehicles (EFVs) from manufacturer General Dynamics Corp.
The vehicles, which have long been targeted by Mr Gates as a way to shrink the military's budget, are manoeuvrable on both land and water and can transport 17 fully-armed troops to land from approximately 20-25 miles offshore.
Mr Gates has been sceptical about whether large military vehicles, like tanks and EFVs, will continue to be crucial military instruments as engagement in modern warfare changes.
He has previously said the enemy has developed sophisticated weapons capable of attacking ships hovering close to shore.
Other cost-cutting measures announced by Mr Gates include plans to cut orders for the F-35 joint strike fighter over the next three to five years to compensate for repeated delays in development and testing.
The cuts come in addition to a $100bn in cuts by 2016, which Mr Gates has said should be reinvested into modernising weapon systems.
Online Business Consulting | Internet Business Consulting