Welcome to the Defense Download! This new round-up is intended to highlight what we at the Cato Institute are keeping tabs on in the world of defense politics every week. The three-to-five trending stories will vary depending on the news cycle, what policymakers are talking about, and will pull from all sides of the political spectrum. If you would like to receive more frequent updates on what I’m reading, writing, and listening to—you can follow me on Twitter via @CDDorminey.
- “Projected Costs of Nuclear Forces, 2019 to 2028,” Congressional Budget Office. The CBO creates new budget estimates every two years on the cost of America’s nuclear arsenal in the upcoming 10-year time frame. This iteration is $94 billion more than the 2017 iteration—now spending will average just under $50 billion annually. This is the beginning of a much larger modernization bow wave that’s coming.
- “Congress poised to put Saudi Arabia on the hook for millions in military training,” Bryant Harris. Saudi Arabia currently utilizes various American military assistance programs to get access to U.S. training programs for their military at discounted rates. Congress may cut them off from these coupons. (h/t @RachelStohl)
