Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has said the Defense Department needs a continued base budget increase of at least 3 percent above inflation to maintain the U.S. military’s competitive advantage, DoD News reported Monday.
Dunford told members of the House Armed Services Committee that the fiscal year 2018 budget request is essential but would not restore readiness or mitigate the decrease in DoD’s competitive advantage against potential adversaries.
“Since 9/11, an extraordinarily high operational tempo has accelerated the wear and tear of our weapons and equipment,” said Dunford.
“Meanwhile, budget instability and the Budget Control Act has forced the department to operate with far fewer resources than required for the strategy of record,” he added.
Dunford noted that budget challenges required DoD to prioritize near-term readiness and delay efforts to replace aging equipment and develop new technologies, the report stated.
The chairman added DoD lacks the capacity to meet current operational needs while maintaining full-spectrum readiness.
