US Pentagon Panel Recommends Canceling New Artillery SystemAn advisory panel appointed by US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has called for the cancellation of the Army's new mobile artillery system, the Crusader, along with other weapons programs designed for large- scale wars, The New York Times reported Monday.The recommendations, outlined in a briefing for Rumsfeld last Saturday, conclude that the Crusader is ill-suited for a new military strategy focused on projecting military power over long distances with air and naval forces, The Times said. The U.S. Army plans to spend 11.1 billion U.S. dollars to build 480 Crusaders, which are automatic, self-propelled 155-millimeter howitzers, or cannons, enabling them to fire farther and faster than the Army's existing artillery system, known as the Paladin. They are cumbersome at a time when the Army's chief of staff, General Eric Shinseki, has proposed lighter, more agile fighting forces, the newspaper said. The Crusader reflects the debate over the weapons the United States will need in battles that are not expected to reflect Cold War-era strategies. The recommendations also are expected to become a test of the Bush administration's promises to reshape the military for the 21st century, pitting supporters of overhauls against supporters of service traditions, defense contractors and jobs, the Times said. President George W. Bush has pledged to abandon programs that make marginal improvements in existing weapons. But the Crusader has powerful supporters in the Army and on Capitol Hill, making any cuts difficult. The panel also recommended scrapping plans to modernize other Army weapons, including the M1-A2 Abrams tank, the Bradley armored combat vehicle and the Air Force's B-1 bomber. |
| People's Daily Online --- http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/ |