Rumsfeld outlines defense transformation goals

Defense Department officials outlined their strategy to overhaul the department's operations before a Senate panel Tuesday.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told the Senate Armed Services Committee that his department has identified six transformational goals as part of a national defense strategy: protect the U.S. homeland and critical bases of operation; deny enemies sanctuary; protect and sustain power in access-denied areas; leverage information technology to connect troops and their operations; improve and protect information networks from attack; and enhance space operations.

Under President Bush's proposed fiscal 2003 budget, Defense would receive $369 billion plus another $10 billion, if needed, to fight terrorism.

Of the $9.4 billion Bush proposed to strengthen anti-terrorism efforts, $3 billion would be used for counter-terrorism and homeland security efforts, and additional funding would be allocated for communications and other critical needs. The budget includes $68.7 billion for procurement of new technologies, as well as research and development funding.

Rumsfeld said about $2.5 billion was requested for leveraging information technology to "seamlessly connect U.S. forces in the air, in the sea, and on the ground." Funding for this would total $18.6 billion over five years. Rumsfeld said that information warfare is becoming more of a threat and that $174 million was requested in the area of information-system protection. The funding would equal $774 million over five years.

Rumsfeld said that the proposed funding levels represent only about 3 percent of total gross domestic product and that the department needs to make up for "years of under-investment" in training and resources. Defense officials and some lawmakers said utilizing technology would help decrease manpower and increase efficiency in everyday operations.

"It's essential we be as creative and technologically advanced as possible," said Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala.

Sen. John Warner, D-Va., said that when the Defense and Commerce departments, the Federal Communications Commission and other agencies discuss spectrum allocations, he hopes "there can be some flexibility for the private sector, which really is in desperate need of spectrum."

Defense Undersecretary and Comptroller Dov Zakheim said during a budget press briefing Monday that "bandwidth" has become a buzzword in the Pentagon, as officials hope to have enough spectrum to allow systems to communicate with each another.

In that budget briefing, Rumsfeld said Defense had wanted to fund science and technology programs to 3 percent of the overall Defense budget, but it is funded at 2.68 percent in the budget proposal. Last year's budget submission was at 2.65 percent.

"In absolute terms, the science and technology numbers have grown as well," Zakheim said. "Would we have liked to have gone faster? Of course."

Zakheim said quantity is being traded for quality Defense systems and said increased spending on communications and intelligence is justified, particularly as the cost and reliance on computers and technology increases.

"We are fighting different kinds of wars," Zakheim said. "We didn't have e-wars in the '60s or in the '70s, or, indeed, in the '80s."