The Pentagon is seeking congressional approval to shift as much as $641 million in funding for intelligence and surveillance to priorities such as expanding Afghanistan operations of a Boeing UAS for Navy commandos.
The request for the “reprogramming” of previously approved military intelligence funds was submitted today to the four congressional defence committees in a 20-page document. It follows an $8.2 billion request on June 29 to shift funds for other defense programmes.
The $94.2 million sought for the ScanEagle made by Chicago-based Boeing would provide more ground stations. Six sites operated by contractors in Iraq would be moved to Afghanistan and ground stations operated by Navy SEALs would be doubled to eight from four.
The unmanned surveillance aircraft are vital to supporting Afghan local police and village-stability efforts “aimed at building an enduring, self-reliant Afghani general population able to resist insurgent” threats, according to the document.
The unclassified request provides a window into U.S. military intelligence systems and their missions. Among the items sought is $2.6 million to purchase hardware and software for an intelligence-gathering and dissemination system the U.S. Africa Command can use to share data with partner nations.
The reprogramming documents must be approved by the congressional defence committees — the authorization and appropriations panels in the House and Senate — before the shift takes effect.
The U.S. Central Command told Bloomberg News in July 2010 that the unmanned planes have “supported missions to kill or capture over 40 high-value individuals,” spotted weapons caches and thwarted efforts to ambush troop convoys or plant roadside bombs.
Source: Bloomberg