Air Force officials are requesting $149.9 billion in non-war spending for fiscal 2012, about $200 million below what the service wanted last year. Under the budget plans, officials would actually spend almost $1 billion more in research and development for future systems, even as aircraft procurement is slashed by almost $2 billion for the near term.
The proposal also holds flat the service’s end strength and total flight hours outside of war zone requirements. And despite less money for purchasing aircraft, officials still plan on adding 61 manned planes and 51 unmanned drones next year."
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NATO Missile Defense for Europe
NATO has agreed to provide ballistic missile defense or BMD for all of Europe. This NATO BMD will protect NATO (European and American) military forces in Europe. It will also – for the very first time – protect the civilian population throughout Europe from ballistic missiles and weapons of mass destruction launched from the Middle East.
Much of this NATO missile defense for Europe – known as the European Phased Adaptive Approach – will actually be provided by the United States armed forces. This will include seaborne AEGIS missile defense on board US Navy ships in the Mediterranean, as well as land based radars and interceptor missiles.
This e-book describes how NATO missile defense for Europe will be organized and implemented.
