The DoD has two years to shape our defense future...stay the course or change direction but only 2, maybe 3 years to do it!

via Breaking Defense.

Finally, Wilson made a bold statement about the 14 percent spending increase recently passed by Congress for fiscal 2018 and 2019, one that bears spreading and remembering: “We can’t expect that this rate of increase will continue.” Given the chances America will experience much larger deficits and growing inflation over the next three to five years, these words may prove prophetic.

Story here. 

As usual the author missed the biggest part of the story he was covering.  I could careless about some future counterinsurgency plane that will be used to give pilots rides while they wait to jump into a fast mover.

The statement about the budget is the key here.

That is the headline.

Trump, the defense budget hawks and the DoD clawed out a budget busting plan.

Hurrah!

The reality is stark.  This is it.  They won't get another bite at the apple.  Deficits, inflation, global stagnation (my guess) is all going to conspire to make future increases almost impossible.

I hope the DoD understands that they've been given a TREMENDOUS opportunity.

If they truly believe that they're on the right course then they should continue.  If not then this might be the only off ramp they get.  Either way the future fight will be fought with weapons and concepts DEVELOPED now.  Practiced now.  Trained on now.

They better be right.  They better be willing to bet the lives of Marines and other service members on what they're doing today.  Cause if they're wrong they'll not only be cursed by historians but they might also be blamed for the defeat of a nation.