Defense Secretary Ashton Carter has said the Defense Department needs to avoid sequestration in order to fund critical investments amid the five global challenges the U.S. currently faces, DoD News reported Thursday.
Lisa Ferdinando writes Carter cited terrorism, China, Russia, Iran and North Korea as the strategic challenges that direct DoD’s planning and budgeting efforts.
He joined Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and DoD Comptroller Mike McCord at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing Thursday on DoD’s budget request of $582.7 billion for fiscal year 2017.
Carter said the Pentagon would be able to prevent $100 billion in automatic budget cuts and support critical investments once sequestration is avoided.
Jim Garamone also reported for DoD News that Dunford called on Congress to adequately fund “a bow wave of procurement requirements” in order to help the joint force counter current and future threats.
These acquisition requirements include the Ohio-class submarine replacement program, long-range strike bomber and continued investments in cyber and space domains.
“And unless we reverse sequestration, we will be unable to execute the current defense strategy, and specifically unable to address the challenges that Secretary Carter outlined,” Dunford said.
