Decisions for Defense: Prospects for a New Order (Studies in Defense Policy)

Kaufmann and Steinbruner take a close look at the most recent spending plan from the Pentagon, contending that the potential for greater cost reduction is possible. They offer alternatives for force reduction and future budgeting. After much debate in 1990, Congress and the administration agreed to reduce real spending for national defense by nearly 20% by fiscal 1996. To achieve these savings, the Defense Department proposes to cut US forces by approximately 25%, end procurement of most current-generation weapons, and prepare for the introduction of new capabilities after 1996. According to the authors, there is a huge probability that, as a consequence, real defense spending will then begin to rise. Kaufmann and Steinbruner question the merits of the assumptions on which this policy is based. They argue not only that the Pentagon has overstated the potential military threats of the future, but also that defense can reduce its forces and investments below what its spokesmen have described as "an irreducible minimum". To support their case, the authors indicate specifically the forces and budgets they consider appropriate for the next 10 years.