In his first interview, new Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. William Mullen declared that the US military must have more money to reconstitute after years of war and to prepare for future challenges, reports Thom Shanker of the New York Times. Mullen asserted that he considered it one of his key roles to argue to sustain higher military budgets. He said, “I think as a country we’re just going to have to devote more resources to national security in the world that we’re living in right now.” Air Force leaders already have stated that the service needs an additional $20 billion per year to recapitalize and sustain rising operations and maintenance costs.
The Space Force is preparing for significant growth to its procurement budget in fiscal 2027, and the head of the service’s largest acquisition organization said April 14 he is asking companies to invest now in facilities and production capacity so they’re ready to execute when called upon.