Some conservatives say that because of ever-rising military costs, Gates' budget is essentially flat in terms of spending and thus represents a cut in modernization programs. But because overall 2010 defense spending will be larger, Gates can argue he is not making cuts.
"His budget is still going to be bigger than the last budget," Harrison said. "It is just taking away from some areas and putting back in others. The contractors may lose in some areas and gain in another."
For The Record
Los Angeles Times Thursday, April 30, 2009 Home Edition Main News Part A Page 4 National Desk 2 inches; 71 words Type of Material: Correction
Pentagon budget: An article in Saturday's Section A about a potential battle over remaking the military said Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates had moved to cancel the Future Combat Systems military modernization program, a system of unmanned aircraft, tanks, transports and robotic vehicles linked by technology. Gates has proposed cancellation of the vehicle portion of the system but would keep other parts of it and move toward development of new vehicles.
Lawmakers may challenge Gates over the F-22, which has engines made by Connecticut's Pratt & Whitney, and Boeing's C-17, which is built in Long Beach. A coalition of lawmakers also may try to stave off cuts to missile defense programs.
But to keep or boost funding for any of those weapons systems, lawmakers would need broad congressional alliances and would have to find other programs that colleagues would agree to cut.
Potential congressional opponents were put at a disadvantage by Gates' timing. Because the proposed cuts were announced while Congress was on recess, lawmakers spread out across the country were less able to coordinate their efforts.
Just as important, analysts said, was Gates' tight control of the decision-making process.
According to Eaglen, the nondisclosure agreements may have prevented the individual services from providing Congress with an accounting of their so-called unfunded requirements, a wish-list of weapons they sought but did not get from the Pentagon chief. That helped keep the details quiet before Gates' announcement.
And "the ongoing nondisclosure agreements will ensure the service chiefs do not undercut Gates when they testify on the Hill," Eaglen said. "He is presenting a unified Department of Defense position, which is very atypical for this process."
Last week, Gates toured all four of the military war colleges to promote his plan. Few students challenged his budget decisions.
But one student at the Naval War College questioned the nondisclosure agreements. Gates responded that keeping his deliberations secret was a way of keeping outside pressures at bay.
In addition, Gates said, he was trying to make a splash with his budget. A series of leaks would have undercut that effect. "Part of my purpose was to announce all of the changes at once so that the range of it would have some impact -- that we were trying to do something different," he said.
