As part of an $8 billion dollar shift in funds throughout the Defense Department, $1 billion that was supposed to go toward the building up of Afghan National Security Forces will now be shifted elsewhere.
According to The Hill, the DoD sent an official request to Congress on June 30 to be able to move the funds.
The $1 billion became available after significant changes in training and equiptment needs for Afghan soldiers provided DoD personnel with the opportunity to free up money in those accounts.
According to the reprogramming notice mentioned in the Carlo Munoz article, a portion of the money taken from ANSF support accounts will be used to outfit the Navy’s fleet of unmanned aerial drones with weapons.
Armed Navy drones will be used to destroy teams of Afghan insurgents who plant roadside bombs on routes used by American and coalition forces, according to the DoD.
The bulk of security operations are being transferred to the Afghans, who will still receive $2.3 billion in support from the DoD
