CSBA in the News

The U.S. military is pursuing talks over a possible troop presence in Iraq beyond the end of 2011, a deal that if struck could cost billions annually and complicate efforts to reduce the nation’s untamed deficit/…/But Panetta already made clear, at his confirmation hearing in June, that he thinks Iraq will ultimately want U.S. troops to stay, citing the hundreds of al Qaeda-linked insurgents still in the country.

The prospect of budget cuts complicate a central dilemma for the Air Force: Its fleet is wearing out and replacement aircraft are proving more expensive than expected.

Will the Pentagon’s most expensive weapons program ever live up to its cost? CNN’s Barbara Starr interviews Andrew Krepinevich.

In an Aug. 17 memo, Jacob Lew, director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), asked federal agencies for 2013 spending plans based on two scenarios: a 5 percent cut and a 10 percent cut from the 2011 enacted discretionary level.

The U.S. Defense Department could be facing up to $99 billion in cuts for the fiscal year 2013 and the department needs a contingency plan, says Todd Harrison of the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments

Last month, officials from the Defense Business Board outlined their plan for changing the way military retirees are paid, abandoning the 20-year service target in favor of a 401(k) style plan.