The U.S. Army fears the continuing budget cuts could hamper its ability to respond to a major war, USA Today reported Thursday.Tom Vanden Brook writes the Army assessed its strategies and resources as part of the Defense Department‘s Quadrennial Defense Review process.
Army officials presented a report to Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter in September, claiming the risks of reducing the number of soldiers from 570,000 to 490,000 in 2017, according to the report.
USA Today obtained the presentation, which claims a 450,000-strong Army will be incapable of executing the defense strategic guidance for a potential war, USA Today reports.
Todd Harrison, budget expert at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, told USA Today the Army needs to replace its conventional armor and infantry battalions with missile defense and offense capabilities if it is to meet that guidance.
