Defence

Friday, January 6, 2012       Obama announces leaner military strategy -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Top news: President Barack Obama announced a new military strategy for the United States in an appearance at the Pentagon with Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and the Joint Chiefs. The U.S. is planning to shrink the Army and Marine Corps, reduce forces in Europe, and make cuts to the country's nuclear arsenal. The cuts may make it less likely that the U.S. will undertake more large-scale stability operations like those in Iraq and Afghanistan. “Yes, our military will be leaner, but the world must know the United States is going to maintain our military superiority with armed forces that are agile, flexible and ready for the full range of contingencies and threats,” Obama said. Despite the roughly $450 billion in cuts, the U.S. military budget is still expected to rise at about the rate of inflation over the next decade. The U.S. will invest more heavily in Special Forces, drone aircraft, and cyberwarfare capability. The restructuring is also part of the administration's planned shift in national security focus from the Middle East to East Asia. China's official news agency Xinhua warned today that the U.S. should be careful about "flexing its muscles" in East Asia or make any moves that could "endanger peace."