WASHINGTON --- The Obama administration is seeking to reprogram approximately $1 billion in war funding to help expand the Army by 15,000 soldiers in FY10. The budget amendment would divert $700.6 million from the Army, $156 million from the Navy and Marine Corps, and $156 million from the Air Force. The White House said that the money being shifted is no longer needed for weapons systems at this time.
The move would cut $375.3 million from the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle program, since the vehicle inventory has been bolstered through recent purchases. The Army would get $175.3 million less for the Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles, since the FY09 contract award has slipped into FY10 and a number of vehicles that were to be assembled in FY10 have been delayed to FY11.
The Navy would get $23 million less for HELLFIRE missiles, with the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) saying that the missiles requested in FY10 are sufficient to meet the service's requirements. An additional $28.8 million would come from machine gun ammunition coffers.
For the Marine Corps, the White House wants to shift $54 million that was set aside for 155mm lightweight towed howitzers, $12.6 million for night vision equipment, $10.2 million for motor transport modifications, $17 million for physical security equipment, and $10.4 million for training devices.
The Air Force would divert funding from its aircraft modification accounts, including $124.4 million for fewer C-130 large aircraft infrared countermeasures (LAIRCM) modifications; $20 million from the F-16 line-of-sight and beyond line-of-sight capability, as the Air Force now plans to retire more Block 25 F-16s than previously thought; and $11.6 million for fewer C-17 LAIRCM modifications, as a contracting issue has delayed kit procurement and installation.
