Pentagon chief Gates attempts to rein in defence spending

USS Nimitz

US defence secretary Robert Gates has once again spoken about the need to rein in runaway defence spending in the United States particularly as threat scenarios around the world change and a recessionary period begins to exact its toll on the budget.

Speaking at the Navy League convention Gates pointed out that amongst the US armed services it is the US Navy that has been the most strident about protecting its force size. Yet, with 11 aircraft carriers, 10 large amphibious ships, 57 attack submarines and 79 other Aegis-equipped warships, the US battle fleet ''exceeds, by one recent estimate, at least the next 13 navies combined, of which 11 are our allies or partners,'' Gates said.

Gates has already warned in the recent past that the past decade's ''gusher of defense spending'' is coming to an end.

At the Navy League convention Gates also pointed out that in today's world asymmetric threats to US sea power, notably from anti-ship and ballistic missiles already existing in the inventory of hostile forces, were of greater concern than conventional forces.

Accordingly, Gates has asked for a shift in budgetary emphasis towards long-range unmanned aircraft and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities, new sea-based missile defences, multi-role submarine missions and littoral capabilities that would address such asymmetric threats.

''You don't need a billion-dollar guided missile destroyer to chase down and deal with a bunch of teenage pirates,'' Gates noted.

Gates's subsequent comments about ''spiralling costs'' also suggested that future US shipbuilding programme may be slashed significantly, especially with respect to ''$3-6 billion destroyers, $7 billion submarines and $11 billion carriers.''