CSBA News
CSBA Hosts 24th Annual Pre-Budget Release Press Briefing: Experts Speculate on Potential Impact of the New Budget on US Strategy, Defense Priorities and Federal Deficit
On January 30, 2008, the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments hosted the 24th annual pre-budget release press briefing in advance of the Defense Department's release of the FY 2009 Defense Budget.
CSBA Vice President of Budget Studies Steven Kosiak, Vice President for Strategic Studies Robert Work, and Stanley Collender of Qorvis Communications previewed the major issues likely to surround the request, including funding for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Services’ modernization plans, and the overall federal budget environment.
According to Stanley Collender, the new budget is unlikely to make any real attempt at deficit reduction and, indeed the coming budget may well add tens of billions of dollars to next year’s deficit.
Steven Kosiak noted that the Department of Defense’s budget has been increased dramatically over the past eight years and that, even excluding funding for military operations, this year’s (2008) defense budget is about 30 percent higher in real (inflation-adjusted) terms than the 2000 budget. He also speculated that the 2009 budget request is likely to include further increases.
Robert Work stated that the new budget request, being the last of this administration’s, was likely to be a transitional document. Significant changes in plans would likely have to wait until a new administration enters office next year.
CSBA Briefing Sparks Debate on MRAP Program on the Hill
On October 17, 2007, the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments with the sponsorship of Senator Evan Bayh held a congressional briefing on the Mine Resistant Ambush Protected class Vehicles Program.
Representative Vic Snyder, chair of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, opened up the discussion by stressing the importance of thorough and informed decision-making on the Hill, especially when it comes to the costly DoD programs and systems funding.
At the briefing, CSBA experts Andrew Krepinevich and Dakota Wood shared the findings of their new report,"Of IEDs and MRAPs: Force Protection In Complex Irregular Operations", released earlier that morning (view presentation slides).
Following the presentation, a panel of military experts BGen(Sel) Lawrence D. Nicholson (USMC), Col. Robert B. Killebrew (USA, ret.) and Lt. Gen. Wallace C. "Chip" Gregson (USMC, ret.) weighed in on the report with their personal insights, and shared institutional rationales for the way the MRAP program has developed.
Experts Urge Congress, OSD and the Navy to Protect the UCAS-D Technology Maturation Program from Institutional Neglect
On July 11, 2007, the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments with the sponsorship of Senator Byron L. Dorgan held a congressional briefing on the Unmanned Combat Air System Carrier Demonstration Program.
The expert panel included Andrew Krepinevich, CSBA's President and CEO, Senator Byron L. Dorgan (D-ND), CSBA's Robert Work and Thomas Ehrhard, James Thomas, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Resources and Plans; David Ochmanek, former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Strategy and currently Senior Defense Analyst at RAND; and Rear Admiral Eric McVadon, former naval and defense attaché to Beijing.
In his opening remarks, Senator Dorgan asserted that UCAS will be a significant part of the future defense force for the Navy.
Robert Work and Thomas Ehrhard pointed out that the reason why UCAS-D is so important is that it will be the first unmanned aircraft designed specifically for conventional carrier operations and it can add a margin of range, stealth, and persistence not seen in past carrier air wings.
The N-UCAS’s unique combination of great unrefueled range and dramatically improved stealth and persistence could transform carriers and their embarked CVWs from operational strike systems with outstanding global mobility and relatively limited tactical reach into global, long-range, persistent surveillance-strike systems effective across the full range of 21st century security challenges. However, to achieve this potentially revolutionary transformation, Congress, OSD, and the Navy should support the UCAS-D program and an expanded technology maturation effort.
(see event details) (view presentation slides)
CSBA Hosts Press Briefing on US Fighter Modernization Plans
On June 20, 2007, the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments hosted a press briefing on U.S. Fighter Modernization Plans.
Under current plans, the US military will spend over $300 billion on fighter modernization over the next several decades, primarily for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program. This is far more than is projected to be spent on any other major acquisition program.
At the briefing, Barry Watts and Steven Kosiak, the authors of CSBA’s new report, US Fighter Modernization Plans: Near-Term Choices, discussed military requirements for US airpower (considering the F-35 program in the context of broader requirements for fixed-wing airpower) and the affordability of existing plans.
The authors also explored a series of options for the F-35 program that reasonably bound the debate over restructuring the program-- given current political, strategic and operational realities.
In the report they conclude that the F-35 program should not be cancelled, but does need to be substantially restructured, and that senior Pentagon officials need to reach a decision on how to restructure the program sooner rather than later. (download report)
Krepinevich Warns Senators: Forces Moving Closer Toward the Red Line
On April 17, 2007, CSBA President Andrew Krepinevich testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee on the Future of the Army.
The Committee sought to determine whether the Army and Marine Corps are properly sized, organized, and equipped to respond to the most likely missions over the next two decades while retaining adequate capability to respond to all contingencies along the spectrum of combat.
In his testimony, Dr. Krepinevich asserted the U.S. all-volunteer ground force is streched to the limit, explored challenges and opportunities in plans to expand the size of the force, and stressed the need to prepare the U.S. military for future irregular conflicts. (read testimony)
Latest from CSBA
May 6, 2008: CSBA hosted a congressional briefing “Dissuasion Strategy vis-à-vis China.” The briefing was timed to the release of a new CSBA report Dissuasion Strategy, coauthored by Andrew F. Krepinevich and Robert C. Martinage. (press release) (report)
March 31, 2008: CSBA releases "Historical and Projected Funding for Defense: Presentation of the of the FY 2009 Request in Tables and Charts" update by Steven Kosiak, Vice President, Budget Studies. (download update )
March 30, 2008: CSBA releases a new "Overview of the Administration's FY 2009 Request for Homeland Security" update authored by Steven Kosiak, Vice President, Budget Studies. (download update)
March 27, 2008: Robert Martinage briefs senior senate staff at the Future Defense Planning Needs Seminar on Capitol Hill (more info) (presentation slides)
March 26, 2008: CSBA releases a new backgrounder "A Cooperative Strategy for 21st Century Seapower: An Assessment " co-authored by Robert O. Work and Jan van Tol (download backgrounder)
February 25, 2008: CSBA has released “The Global War on Terrorism: An Assessment,” authored by Senior Fellow Robert C. Martinage. Report concludes that US position in the GWOT has slipped since 2003—but suggests that tide may be turning against jihadi extremism. (press release)
February 14, 2008: CSBA Vice President for Budget Studies Steven Kosiak testified before the House Armed Services Committee on Military Readiness: Cost-Effectiveness of US Plans for Reset, Force Expansion and Weapons Modernization. (hearing details )(video)
February 4, 2008: CSBA releases an FY 2009 Budget update by Steven Kosiak, Vice President, Budget Studies. (download update )
January 23, 2008: Dr. Krepinevich testifies before the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations on Post-Surge Alternatives for Iraq. (more)(read testimony)(audio)
December 19, 2007: Steven Kosiak offers his analysis of the FY 2008 Department of Defense Appropriations Act. (download update )
October 31, 2007: CSBA releases a report “Arming the Heavens: A Preliminary Assessment of the Potential Cost and Cost-Effectiveness of Space-Based Weapons” authored by Steven Kosiak, Vice President for Budget Studies (download report)
October 17, 2007: CSBA releases a report "Of IEDs and MRAPs: Force Protection In Complex Irregular Operations" co-authored by Andrew Krepinevich and Dakota Wood (download report)
September 19, 2007: Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments held a congressional briefing on U.S. Fighter Modernization Plans. Secretary of the Air Force Michael Wynne joined CSBA experts Steven Kosiak and Barry Watts, and Dr. David Ochmanek, Senior Defense Analyst at RAND, as a featured speaker. (see briefing slides)
September 13, 2007: CSBA releases "The Cost of U.S. Operations for Iraq and Afghanistan and for the War on Terrorism" update authored by Steven Kosiak (download update)
September 10, 2007: Dr. Krepinevich shared his assessment of the Iraq surge in a closed senior Senate staff briefing. (see briefing slides)
August 13, 2007: CSBA releases "Comparison of the FY 2008 House and SASC Defense Authorization Bills" update authored by Steven Kosiak (download update)
July 25, 2007: CSBA Vice President for Budget Studies, Steven Kosiak, offers an update on classified funding in his "Classified Funding in the FY 2008 Defense Budget Request" (download update)
July 23, 2007: CSBA releases "Overview of the Administration FY 2008 Request for Homeland Security" update authored by Steven Kosiak (download update)
June 20, 2007: Dr. Krepinevich testified before the House Armed Services Committee on
Defense Roles, Missions, and Requirements. (more...) (read testimony)
June 7, 2007: CSBA releases new Report "Analysis of the FY 2008 Defense Budget Request" by Steven Kosiak (download report)
June 6, 2007: Steven Kosiak offers an update on Historical and Projected Funding for Defense: Presentation of the FY 2008 Request in Tables and Charts (download update)
May 10, 2007: CSBA releases new Backgrounder "The Unmanned Combat Air System Carrier Demonstration Program: A New Dawn for Naval Aviation?" co-authored by Thomas Ehrhard and Robert Work (download backgrounder)
May 9, 2007: CSBA releases new Report "Avoiding the Plague: an Assessment of U.S. Plans and Funding for Countering Bioterrorism" by Robert Sherman (more)(download report)
April 20, 2007: CSBA releases Report "A New Global Defense Posture for the Second Transoceanic Era" co-authored by Andrew Krepinevich and Robert Work (download report)
April 19, 2007: CSBA releases Report "Know When to Hold ‘Em, Know When to Fold ‘Em: A New Transformation Plan for the Navy's Surface Battle Line" by Robert Work. (download report)
April 13, 2007: Robert Work discussed the issue of Global Basing and Mobility at the fourth installment of the Future Defense Planning Needs Seminar for Senior Congressional Staff. (see slides)
March 1, 2007: CSBA releases Report "Six Decades of Guided Munitions and Battle Networks: Progress and Prospects" by Barry Watts. (download report)
February 28, 2007: Dr. Krepinevich briefed senior congressional staff on the Army’s new counter-insurgency doctrine, and the Administration's plans for military surge in Iraq. (more...)
February 22, 2007: Robert Martinage presented at the CSIS Future of SOF Aviation Project on Stealthy Mobility and Support Aircraft for US Special Operations Forces (see slides)
February 21, 2007: Robert Martinage briefed MIT and Lincoln Laboratories associates on Technological Implications of the 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review (see slides)
February 6, 2007: Steven Kosiak testified before the Senate Budget Committee on War Costs (read the testimony) (watch broadcast)