Carter highlights DOD's scientific pursuits during China Lake base tour

Defense Secretary Ash Carter said the ongoing work at California’s Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake is "critical" to DOD's scientific research-and-development (R&D) arm during a tour of the base this week, during which he provided a preview of the  $582.7 billion fiscal 2017 defense budget that will be submitted next week.

Stressing the importance of the Department of Defense’s command of science and technology, Carter said his department is prioritizing state-of-the-art equipment, preparation and training following his recent tour of the China Lake facility in the Mojave Desert. 

“We are … making the investments we need to do in modernization,” Carter said of the defense-budget request for 2017. “We’re making sure we make the investments we need to make in training and readiness. We are making substantial investments in force structure as well, but there’s a balance. … You’ll see that balance struck in every domain.”

The China Lake site, serving as a Defense Department hub for strategic transition, prioritizes research and development with an eye toward staying on the cutting edge of munitions technology. Its programs are aligned with the nation’s highest capabilities for all air and naval operations.

With the U.S. best served by diversifying its munitions’ strike capabilities, specific items represented in the budget include three types of missiles: cruise missiles, long-range anti-ship missiles and anti-radiation homing missiles.

Acknowledging that the requested funding exceeds the Fiscal Year Defense Plan by $418 million, Carter pointed out that the investments are high-end, strategic and aimed at ensuring that the U.S. has the greatest possible capabilities, particularly in the face of current threats such as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, as well as parties “who we hope never become antagonists of the United States, but are clearly competitors,” Carter said.

“We have to balance and make sure (we are in) the best shape in our military for the amount of money we have in our budget,” Carter said. “That’s just a reality.”