The Aerospace Industries Association has urged Congress and President Donald Trump to ensure a “steady and stable growth†in defense budget for fiscal 2019 and beyond in order to counter threats posed by transnational terrorism, China, Russia, North Korea and Iran, Defense News reported Thursday.
AIA said in its Thursday statement lawmakers and the administration have started to provide the Defense Department with additional budget for fiscal years 2018 and 2019 to build up military readiness against multiple threats.
“But the shortfalls of the last decade cannot be erased in the space of two years, and now the administration has announced potential reductions in defense investment that could undermine the improvements that are just now materializing,†the trade group warned.
Trump announced in October that he projects defense spending to be $700B for fiscal 2020, a figure that reflects a potential $33B cut from the Pentagon’s expected budget.
Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said in late October that DoD plans to have two budget requests in place by Dec. 1 – a $733B spending plan and a $700B budget.
