Defense spending has probably reached an “apex” for the foreseeable future, and it’s probably “going down from here,” Lt. Gen. David Deptula, deputy chief of staff for ISR, told reporters in Washington yesterday. Mounting bills for social programs, social security, and Medicare for baby boomers likely won’t allow much room for new defense spending, so it will be critical to “add new capabilities…to the stuff we already have,” he said. “The money’s not going to be there” for a massive refresh of the military’s force structure, he asserted.
The Air Force has embraced new technical approaches like open mission systems and rapid software updates for cutting-edge aircraft like the B-21 and Collaborative Combat Aircraft. Increasingly, though, the service is also working to apply these to its older, “legacy” aircraft, officials said this week.