Military Budget submitted by Gates

I have found all the coverage of this to be almost identical. So, here are the hi-lights of his proposal:

1. halting production of the F-22 fighter jet

2*. scrapping a new helicopter for the president as he outlined deep cuts to many of the military's biggest weapons programs.

3. Spending on tanks, fighter planes, ships, missiles and other weapons accounted for about a third of all defense spending last year. But Gates noted more money will be needed in areas such as personnel as the Army and Marines expand the size of their forces. [...]

4. A new communications satellite would be scrapped

5. the program for a new Air Force transport plane would be ended.

6. The Army's $160 billion Future Combat Systems modernization program would lose its armored vehicles.

7. Plans to build a shield to defend against missile attacks by rogue states would also be scaled back.

8. speeding up production of the F-35 fighter jet, which could end up costing $1 trillion to manufacture and maintain 2,443 planes.

9. The military would buy more speedy ships that can operate close in to land.

10. more money would be spent outfitting special forces troops that can hunt down insurgents.

2*. President Obama will continue flying in a stripped-down Marine One helicopter that matches the tough economic times, because Defense Secretary Robert Gates recommended that the controversial $13 billion program to develop a supped-up helicopter be canceled -- at least for now. Termination of the new Marine One program, whose costs escalated from an initially estimated $6.5 billion to $13 billion.Technology in the new helicopter geared toward keeping the president secure and allowing him to perform his duties uninterrupted while in the air contributed to the cost of the helicopter, which also was to include a small, functional kitchen and a bathroom.