President Clinton's military budget request for 1997 includes funding for expensive new weapons that were initiated during the Cold War for the purpose of fighting the Soviet Union. Existing weapons already fielded in the U.S. military are for the most part more capable than any other nation's and are enhanced by unrivaled U.S. mobility, communications, logistics, intelligence, training, and maintenance capabilities. Instead of building entirely new weapons before they are needed, the Pentagon could invest in modifications and upgrades of the proven systems it already has. This would lessen the risk of technical problems and program delays and be far less costly.
| 1996 Funding $ Millions | 1997 Request $ Millions | Estimated Total Program Cost $ Billions | |
| DDG-51 AEGIS Destroyer | 2,395.7 | 3,505.4 | 57 |
| Ballistic Missile Defense | 3,363.3 | 2,798.8 | 100 |
| F/A-18E/F Hornet Fighter-Bomber | 1,053.5 | 2,587.3 | 81 |
| C-17 Transport Aircraft | 2,647.1 | 2,321.0 | 41 |
| F-22 Advanced Tactical Fighter | 2,177.0 | 2,007.4 | 70 |
| V-22 Osprey Tilt-Rotor Aircraft | 783.4 | 1,179.1 | 47 |
| SSN-21 Seawolf Submarine | 810.5 | 920.2 | 13 |
| E-8A Joint STARS Recon. Aircraft | 697.0 | 786.4 | 9 |
| NSSN New Attack Submarine | 1,217.6 | 774.6 | 65 |
| MILSTAR Communications Satellite | 583.8 | 727.3 | 27 |
| B-2 Stealth Bomber | 1,415.0 | 683.9 | 45 |
| Joint Strike Fighter | 193.2 | 581.8 | 90 |
| Trident II (D-5) Nuclear Missile | 524.2 | 336.7 | 28 |
| RAH-66 Comanche Helicopter | 292.2 | 288.6 | 43 |
| Tomahawk Cruise Missile | 282.5 | 232.3 | 14 |
| TOTAL: | 18,436.0 | 19,730.8 | 730 |
Prepared by Martin Calhoun, Senior Research Analyst, April 24, 1996.
Sources: DOD, CDI.