Stress on Missiles

From President Eisenhower's $41 billion defense budget emerged dramatic evidence of the strategic change brought on by rocket-age technology: for the first time in its history, the U.S. plans to spend more on missiles than on manned aircraft. For fiscal 1961, the Defense Department budget calls for $6 billion in new money on missiles and missile bases, with $5.2 billion going for aircraft.

While both the Army, with a defense-spending share of $9.4 billion, and the Navy, at $11.7 billion, get slight increases over fiscal 1960, the Air Force, in its change to emphasis on missiles over rockets, takes a cut of $318 million, to a level of $18.6 billion. But with that money, the Air Force will be able to buy 72 more Atlas and 50 more Titan missiles, bringing its intercontinental ballistic missile force to a total of 270 by the end of 1963. Also scheduled for the Air Force: $350 million for 15 test models of the solid-fuel, second-generation Minuteman missile (see SCIENCE).

The aircraft cutbacks proposed by the Administration would permit the Air Force to build only 40 more Boeing B-52 jet bombers, bringing the B-52 force to a total of 700 by the end of 1963, and only 30 more delta-wing, 1,400-m.p.h. Convair B-58s, for a total of 86. Air Force planners were distressed that only $70 million was earmarked for two prototype models of the 2,000-m.p.h. B70 long-range bomber, which airmen envisage as being able to fly anywhere in the world within five hours and to lay as many as 100 small A-bombs on target. A couple of Air Force consolations: the budget gives the go-ahead on increased construction of KC-135 jet tankers, authorizes the purchase of 220 more F-105s for tactical nuclear missions. The Air Force schedules of Dwight Eisenhower's 1961 budget would surely come in for the most criticism.

But President Eisenhower was plainly determined to defend his military budget. Asked a provocative question about defense spending at his news conference last week, the President bristled. "I've spent my life in this." he snapped, "and I know more about it than almost anybody, I think, in the country. I believe that the matter of defense has been handled well and efficiently." The closer, item-by-item analysis of the defense budget to be made by Congress and the country's military specialists would throw more specific light on the issue. The key question: Ike says the $41 billion budget is enough, but is it? Prime witnesses in settling the debate: the chiefs of the three armed services, who are scheduled to testify within the next two weeks.

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