OK, lets just increase unemployment in the high tech sector. Instead of spending $50 million protecting the "marsh mouse" spend it on something important.

I have heard that DoD will be cutting back on the F-35, and closing the F-22 production line.

WASHINGTON - As the Bush administration was drawing to a close, Robert M. Gates, whose two years as defense secretary had been devoted to wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, felt compelled to warn his successor of a crisis closer to home.

The United States "cannot expect to eliminate national security risks through higher defense budgets, to do everything and buy everything," Gates said. The next defense secretary, he warned, would have to eliminate some costly hardware and invest in new tools for fighting insurgents.

What Gates didn't know was that he would be that successor.

Now, as the only Bush Cabinet member to remain under President Obama, Gates is preparing the most far-reaching changes in the Pentagon's weapons portfolio since the end of the Cold War, according to aides.

Two defense officials who were not authorized to speak publicly said Gates will announce up to a half-dozen major weapons cancellations later this month. Candidates include a new Navy destroyer, the Air Force's F-22 fighter jet, and Army ground-combat vehicles, the offi cials said.

More cuts are planned for later this year after a review that could lead to reductions in programs such as aircraft carriers and nuclear arms, the officials said.

As a former CIA director with strong Republican credentials, Gates is prepared to use his credibility to help Obama overcome the expected outcry from conservatives. And after a lifetime in the national security arena, working in eight administrations, the 65-year-old Gates is also ready to counter the defense companies and throngs of retired generals and other lobbyists who are gearing up to protect their pet projects.

"He has earned a great deal of credibility over the past two years, both inside and outside the Pentagon, and now he is prepared to use it to lead the department in a new direction and bring about the changes he believes are necessary to protect the nation's security," said Geoff Morrell, the Pentagon press secretary.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washin...n_weapons/

Some of those cuts do need to be made.

We need a complete rethink of our military force structure, and how to orient it to the threats we face in the future.

I see four major strategic objectives:
1. Prevent nuclear war.
2. Maintain worldwide control of the seas.
3. Counter the rise of any land-based power like the former Soviet Union.
4. Defend against, and work to eradicate, rogue states or terrorist groups.

I would designate the primary military responders in each area to be:
1. Strategic forces
2. Navy
3. Army and Air Force
4. Marine Corps

Obviously, diplomacy would be an essential element in each area.

With this kind of mission clarification, a lot of weapons programs could be evaluated much more sanely.

I think we could save some money if some of the countries we help protect either started doing it themselves or pay us for the grief. Japan, Germany and S Korea immediately come to mind.