Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has warned that possible budget cuts triggered by the breakdown of the congressional “supercommittee“ would have devastating consequences, but many skeptics question whether such dire predictions are an exaggeration.
“The cuts are not as draconian as you might expect, given the rhetoric, but they are serious nevertheless,” said Todd Harrison, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. “It’s not the depth of the cuts. It’s the abruptness with which they will occur.”
Instead of making “smart cuts,” such as reducing the number of bases and the number of military and civilian personnel, the Pentagon would be forced to make “quick cuts” right away, Harrison added. That would likely entail terminating or delaying acquisition programs, a move that could end up costing more money in the future.