DefenceTalkTwice in just the past 15 years the U.S. government has made the decision to shrink the size of the Army. Under the Bush Administration the argument was that the real threat was from rising near-peer powers and regional adversaries empowered by advanced weapons technologies. Combatting these threats required investment in transformational capabilities that would […]https://www.defencetalk.com/downsizing-us-army-when-well-need-an-army-you-can-bet-well-need-it-bad-60763/

DefenceTalkThe Pentagon plans to scale back the US Army by more than an eighth to its lowest level since before World War II, signaling a shift after more than a decade of ground wars. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel recommended shrinking US forces from 520,000 active duty troops to between 440,000 and 450,000. In a speech […]https://www.defencetalk.com/pentagon-proposes-to-shrink-us-army-to-pre-wwii-level-58851/

DefenceTalkEuropean aerospace giant EADS, the maker of Airbus aircraft, announced plans Monday to cut 5,800 jobs in its defence and space division over three years. The job cuts, part of a major restructuring in the face of falling orders, will affect the group’s workforce in Germany, France, Spain and Britain, the company said in a […]https://www.defencetalk.com/eads-to-cut-5800-jobs-in-europe-in-restructuring-49886/

DefenceTalkDeep, across-the-board spending cuts scheduled to take effect March 1 would cause chaos for the Defense Department, Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton B. Carter said in a televised interview yesterday. Carter told Judy Woodruff on “PBS Newshour” that the department will do what it can to minimize disruptions should the cuts kick in, but it can […]https://www.defencetalk.com/spending-cuts-would-cause-chaos-carter-says-46905/

DefenceTalkThe NATO Secretary General has put out his clearest statement yet that he wants defence cuts to stop before they put populations at risk. Anders Fogh Rasmussen’s words at the Defence Ministers Meeting in Belgium come as David Cameron revealed some of Britain’s aid budget could be used for defence. The Secretary General said: “If […]https://www.defencetalk.com/nato-chief-calls-for-defence-cuts-halt-46903/

DefenceTalkUS President Barack Obama will use his State of the Union address on Tuesday to call for dramatic cuts in nuclear arsenals around the world, The New York Times has reported. Quoting unnamed administration officials, the newspaper said late Sunday that in recent months Obama had secured agreement with the US military that its nuclear […]https://www.defencetalk.com/obama-to-propose-deep-nuclear-arms-cuts-report-46743/