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Lt. Col. Ralph Peters sounds off on the upcoming military spending cuts and where money needs to be spent on defense.
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America's top military chiefs -- spoken they wrote a rare joint letter to the senate warning against military cuts Walt.
The current budgetary uncertainty that we are at grave risk of and impose mismatch between the size of our nation's military force.
In the funding required to maintain its readiness.
Which will inevitably lead to a hollow one.
Fox News strategic analyst and author of McCain at Gettysburg colonel Ralph Peters -- is now.
Colonel Peters sequestration is going to be wanted to big battles -- -- watching -- a gigantic possible gigantic cuts in the military.
Many people are saying that we eventually have to do this and it appears maybe from this letter though that these generals are against that.
Well first -- We -- the Defense Department has to accept that in an age of not enough money.
The Defense Department is it's gonna have to military services are gonna have to make some cuts some trends.
And they are ultimately want to do that they recognize reality the problem.
Is -- that the chairman of the joint chiefs the service chiefs and even -- sector.
I don't have a budget in the sense of the corporate bush.
They're bankers.
They propose a budget to congress.
Congress cherry picks it.
And congress funds specific programs for specific amounts and even the sec -- cannot move money between accounts the wise it's a problem.
It's a problem because despite all the raw raw talk from congress left and right about how patriotic they are they don't vote for a strong military.
They vote for jobs and companies in their home district.
We even you -- -- look nobody from Washington State is gonna get vote against funding for Boeing.
So what the joint chiefs are worried about.
It's -- congress will continue to fund the programs that benefit their home districts so while the military takes a terrible -- So so what you're suggesting then.
Is that maybe it's not the generals who want to all of this spending but it actually congress or a law makers.
Who are trying to get as much pork as possible for their constituents.
Absolutely nursing numerous amount of pork in the defense budget.
But that it that it dimension of -- this service chiefs chairman of the joint chiefs is to keep a force in readiness.
I joined the army as a private in 1976 after Vietnam.
I don't ever want to go back about hello -- we couldn't get spare parts we didn't have enough fuel we have enough training ammunition.
We were -- -- we -- using Second World War vehicles in the 1970s.
And Germany.
And so what I'm arguing for is really more daylight on all this because if we're gonna make cuts and we are going to make cuts.
We need to take care of would protect.
Real military capabilities.
And not just protect favored defense contractors and that's tough because congress hopefully doesn't give a damn.
About just -- private your stuffy or Sargent rock they care about their home districts that's where system works.
So then having said that I think -- you're talking I'm thinking maybe the osprey -- was very controversial program.
Ultimately what we do these cuts that are inevitable that you -- are inevitable.
What gets cut I mean will it actually be decided by who's got this -- the highest rank in congress and not necessarily who's got the highest rank within a military.
Whether it's it's gonna be decided largely by which defense contractors which defense contract -- giants have -- Lockheed Martin.
Have.
This for the Bane of my existence as a military supporter.
Did you solicit.
-- the most expensive fighter and in history.
-- the F 22.
Without an inventory almost a decade it's such a mess it has not been able to fly a single combat mission even though it cost 350 million dollars a copy.
So what was -- penalty for Lockheed Martin.
They've been awarded the largest fighter aircraft deal in history for new aircraft the F 35.
It's deeply troubled that software is a -- can't fly properly -- short written negligible range it wouldn't be useful at all against China.
Can't carry many bombs.
But because Lockheed Martin owns and it.
Owns the project he can't kill -- soccer are the problem is we can't congress will not kill trash weapons -- don't work.
And the -- -- who pays the bills.
That the that the corporal on food stamps.
You know what the scenario that you're paying them.
Seems like we're going to be stuck with the junk and when that these cuts do come they're gonna hurt individuals and that the big corporation.
Romney that we focus on killing power not spending power colonel Ralph Peters we appreciate it we'll definitely have you back real soon.
