Has Pentagon Cut All It's Going To?

Claiming that the worst-performing arms programs have already been cut, it looks like the Pentagon is going to try to protect the rest of the budget.

The Pentagon has already cut its most troubled weapons programs and others that are no longer needed, and may be able to avoid further major program cancellations, a top U.S. defense official said on Wednesday.

"I think it's fair to say that the poorest performers were identified in FY10," Ashton Carter, defense undersecretary for acquisition, technology and logistics, told a defense industry conference hosted by Aviation Week.

"I hope that, after a certain amount of trimming of the underbrush, that that won't be necessary," Carter said, when asked to identify possible future cuts.

The Pentagon identified "a large number of programs that were essentially canceled for cause," in fiscal 2010, which ends September 30, Carter said, plus additional programs that were no longer needed in fiscal 2011, including the Boeing Co C-17 transport plane.

Carter said he was continuing to carefully review major weapons programs such as the Lockheed Martin Corp F-35 fighter jet and to restructure them if necessary. But he was also devoting time to protecting well-performing programs.

By: Brant