US Army 'To Be Cut To Pre-World War Two Size'

The planned cuts, part of the defence budget, reportedly include reducing troop levels and scrapping an entire class of aircraft.

Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel wants to shrink the US Army to its smallest force since before World War Two, the New York Times has reported.

Mr Hagel is set to lay out his plans when he presents his defence budget today.
The cuts mean the army may well be too small for protracted foreign occupation, the newspaper said.
But Pentagon officials stressed the military would still be capable of defeating any adversary.

Chuck Hagel unveils his first defence budget later

Under the proposal, the Army would drop from a post-September 11, 2001 peak of 570,000 to as low as 440,000 troops. That would be the lowest since 1940.
The plan would also entail scrapping an entire class of attack jets - the Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II - which provides close aerial protection to ground troops.
The beloved aircraft, known as Warthog for its snub-nosed design, was designed at the height of the Cold War to destroy Soviet tanks in case of an invasion of Western Europe.
It is seen as less relevant in today's environment, and Air Force officials have estimated that retiring the entire fleet of around 300 planes would save more than $3.5bn (£2.1bn), according to the Wall Street Journal.
The cuts would be aimed at reducing defence spending in the face of government austerity after a pledge by President Barack Obama to end US involvement in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Wall Street Journal said the proposed budget includes limits on military pay raises, higher fees for military healthcare benefits and less generous military housing allowances.

Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II is also known as Warthog