Barney's Doing Something?

I was surprised to learn that Barney Frank was instrumental in the formation of the Sustainable Defense Task Force, which has proposed a number of cuts in the defense budget, which Obama and company seem to consider a sacred cow. I was even more surprised that there are other Congressmen behind the movement and that the others include people such as Ron Paul, who is diametrically opposed to Barney in many areas. Barney is involved with the task force even though he has said he would vote for keeping GE working on the F-35 which the Pentagon does not want. The question, of course, is whether these guys will follow through.
The report lists a number of places where the defense budget could be cut without damaging us. It's rationale is to ask rather obvious questions:

• Is the weapons system based on proven and/or reliable technology?
• What is the cost-benefit of a particular program?
• Does the program mesh with the changing challenges faced by the military?
• Are the cost-saving opportunities that are not being investigated?

But these rather basic questions yield areas where we can save a bundle without damaging our military capabilities. Here is their list of areas of potential savings:

Strategic Capabilities

1. Reduce the US nuclear arsenal; adopt dyad; cancel Trident II

• 1000 deployed warheads

• 7 Ohio-class SSBNs

• 160 Minuteman missiles                                                                           $113.5 b.

2. Limit modernization of nuclear weapons infrastructure and research              $26 b.

3. Selectively curtail missile defense & space spending                              $55 b.

Conventional Forces

4. Reduce troops in Europe and Asia, cut end strength by 50,000                     $80 b.

5. Roll back Army & USMC growth as wars in Iraq and Afghanistan end $147 b.

6. Reduce US Navy fleet to 230 ships                                                          $126.6 b.

7. Only retire two Navy aircraft carriers and naval air wings                                $50 b.

8. Retire two Air Force fighter wings, reduce F-35 buy                                    $40.3 b.

Procurement and R&D

9. Cancel USAF F-35, buy replacement                                                          $47.9 b.

10. Cancel USN & USMC F-35, buy replacement                                   $9.85 b.

11. Cancel MV-22 Osprey, field alternatives                                            10 b. – $12 b.

12. Delay KC-X Tanker, interim upgrade of some KC-135s                               $9.9 b

13. Cancel Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle, field alternatives                         $8 b. – $9 b.

14. Reduce spending on research & development                                           $50 b.

Personnel Costs
15. Military compensation reform                                                                            $55 b.
16. Reform DoD’s health care system                                                                      $60 b.
17. Reduce military recruiting expenditures as wars recede                                        $5 b.
Maintenance and Supply Systems
18. Improve the efficiency of military depots, commissaries, and exchanges               $13 b.
Command, Support, and Infrastructure
19. Require commensurate savings in command, support, and infrastructure             $100 b.


It's a big number, a very big number.