CBO Report on America’s FY 2006 Defense Plans

An October 21, 2005 DID article offered detailed coverage of a Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report that looked at various military transport options, including DARPA’s ultra-large WALRUS class airships. The CBO also issued The Long-Term Implications of Current Defense Plans and Alternatives: Summary Update for Fiscal Year 2006 recently [2005/10/17 version, PDF format]. This report looks at the long term cost implications of the current US military budget, compares FY 2006 proposals in each major area with an “evolutionary alternative” and a “transformational alternative” force mix, then assesses long term costs and risks under each scenario. That report has just been updated, and DID offers both a link to the revised report, and a few pointers re: some highlights worth a closer look… UPDATE: The CBO offers an update as of January 7, 2006: “The Long-Term Implications of Current Defense Plans and Alternatives: Detailed Update for Fiscal Year 2006” [PDF format]. Some highlights, from DID’s point of view: * Page 2, which clearly shows the majority of the USA’s defense budget tied up in personnel plus operations and maintenance, may be enlightening to some people who think it all goes to shiny new weapons. Not so. * Page 10’s graph […]