Pentagon to Slash $100B From Budget

Weapons systems in development to be axed
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 4, 2011 1:20 AM CST
Pentagon to Slash $100B From Budget
A prototype of a Marine Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle runs a test in the waters off the coast of Oceanside, Calif.    (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

Defense Secretary Robert Gates is set to unveil details of some $100 billion in Pentagon spending cuts, sources tell Reuters. The savings, which could be announced as early as Thursday, are expected to include cuts to some weapons programs, including the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle, a 40-ton landing craft being developed for the Marine Corps.

A ground-based missile system being developed by Raytheon is also likely to face the ax, according to a defense analyst at the Lexington Institute. "Secretary Gates must prove he is running a tight ship because the federal government is running a huge budget deficit," the analyst said. (More Robert Gates stories.)

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