Procurement: January 8, 2005

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With the U.S. Army spending over a billion dollars a week in Iraq, the American defense budget is undergoing some unpleasant (for the other services) adjustments. The army is doing most of the work in Iraq, and the air force and navy are under pressure to trim unneeded new projects to help pay for it. The navys new destroyer program, and the air force space based radar system are the two most likely items to be cut, delayed or otherwise plundered to help pay for army operations. Meanwhile, the army is gradually rebuilding itself as a 21st century force by equipping units, headed for Iraq, with new gear. The new equipment is often very new, right out of the lab. Communications equipment, robots (both on the ground and in the air), protective gear and new weapons are all going to leave the army a much more capable and combat experienced force. Theres not much the navy and air force can do. The army is paying for all this progress in blood. Nearly all the casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan are army. The marines are getting some of the same advantages as the army, but this is not helping the navy much (the marines and navy both belong to the Department of the Navy and share many resources and much budget money.)