Pentagon to Boost European Reassurance Spending in FY17 Request
January 19, 2016First Word
By Tony Capaccio
(Bloomberg) — Defense budget request of ~$583b will contain between $3b-$4b for Europe-based initiatives, up from $789m requested for this yr, according to 2 defense officials.
Funding will come from $58.8b warfighting request, not $524b base defense bill, say the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because budget hasn’t been formally released
Increased funding will pay for expanded prepositioning of war stocks in Baltics, rotation of Army armored brigade, exercises, officials say
About $1.5b in warfighting budget request will restock munitions dropped during counter-Islamic State campaign, official says; 35k munitions dropped since Aug. 2014
No weapons programs terminated in FY17 request but face adjustments, official says
Official says it’s unlikely Defense Sec. Ashton Carter will preview budget in Washington
NOTE: Pentagon Comptroller Mike McCord in Sept. interview said Russian assertiveness in Europe, Middle East would shape FY17 request
http://about.bgov.com/blog/pentagon-to-boost-european-reassurance-spending-in-fy17-request/
