Defense Planning Recommendations Handed Down

The independent panel’s assessment of the Quadrennial Defense Review has submitted recommendations and suggestions for changes for future Department of Defense planning.

Former Defense Secretary William J. Perry and former National Security Advisor Stephen J. Hadley presented their work to House Armed Services Committee following the panel’s determination that the department’s military planning is lacking.

Suggestions for improvement ranged from funding a major recapitalization of equipment, revamping the personnel system and an expansion of Navy personnel.

According to DoD, the panel identified America’s four “enduring national interests that transcend politics” as, defense of the homeland; assured access to sea, air, space and cyberspace; a favorable balance of power in western Asia; and overall humanitarian good.

“The world’s first order of concern will continue to be security concerns,”  Hadley said.

The panel would like to see a total recapitalization of military hardware and equipment.

“This will be expensive,” Perry said. “But deferring recapitalization will require even more expenses in the future.”

There is also the call for a review of department resource management, noting dual competition should be required in production programs with a delivery-time limit of five to seven years.

A renewed focus on potential issues in the Western Pacific is also recommended.

U.S. allies in the East “are worried about China and they want us there working with China, and we are,” Perry said.

The report also suggested that more thought be put into the usage of National Guard and reserve forces.

“Our panel thinks we really need to re-think our relationship between the active force and the Guard and reserves, and if we need a mobilization capability beyond our current mobilization force,” Hadley said. “How much of the Guard and reserve is an operational reserve? How much of it is a strategic reserve? How much of it is for homeland security? All this needs to be re-thought.”

Posted by John Adams on Friday, July 30th, 2010. Filed under General, News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry