BMD Cut Warning

While the Missile Defense Agency's fiscal year 2012 budget request "may look pretty good," even with a $200 million increase over the FY-11 requested level, don't be fooled, House Armed Services strategic forces subcommittee Chairman Michael Turner (R-OH) warned attendees of a missile defense event on Capitol Hill this morning:

I ask you to look at the outyear funding profile. It is $2.4 billion less than the same outyear projection from a year ago. . . . MDA attributes this to efficiencies, but one has to seriously question the assumptions MDA is making to get these efficiencies. For example, MDA is planning to consolidate and reduce testing, implement multiyear procurement strategies, which require universal approval, revise program cost estimates, reduce engineering services, reduce intelligence support, and cut contractors. Any cuts affecting mission that are masked as efficiency will hit serious resistance in Congress.