Gates Unveils 2010 Budget

Defense Secretary Robert Gates has released his 2010 defense budget proposal.Mr.Gates says he is just trying to get the irregular warfare guys to have a seat at the table.He is shifting the emphasis to less costly systems that are appropriate to today's low intensity conflicts,not tomorrow's wars.Mr.Gates dismissed the "exquisite" weapons that characterized Pentagon thought in recent times.He is also rolling back the number of contracts from 39% of defense work to the pre-9-11 figure of 26%,as defense projects are moved in house.The 2010 proposal calls for 31 new F/A-18 fighter jets for the Navy;increasing special operations forces by 2800;increasing the Marine Corps by 27,000;halting the DDG 1000 Zumwalt destroyer at three ships,while returning to the Arleigh Burke class destroyer;canceling the new light armored vehicles in favor of the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles;adding two billion more for surveillance systems;accelerating the production of F-35 fighters to 30 in 2010,up from 14 in 2009;and increasing the number of helicopter maintenance crews and pilots for Afghanistan service.The budget is for 534 billion dollars,an increase of 20 billion over 2009.