Weapons chief sees huge cuts coming

FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla. – The commander of the Air Armaments Center at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., warned participants at the 37th Air Armament Conference Oct. 4 that there's a "big target" painted on weapons development. Major Gen. Kenneth D. Merchant told the military officers, government employees and contractors that while the projected cuts for fiscal year 2012 are small, weapons programs can expect to take a disproportionate share of hits compared to personnel and operations accounts. "It's not looking good," Merchant said. "The next few years are going to be very lean." The Air Armaments Center oversees the development, procurement and testing of all Air Force air-delivered weapons. (Source: National Defense magazine, 10/04/11)