Gates Says Military Troop Cuts May Protect F-35, Submarine

Outgoing U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the Pentagon may have to cut pay, benefits and the size of the armed forces to reduce costs while protecting weapons programs such as Lockheed Martin Corp.’s F-35 fighter jet.

President Barack Obama’s goal of paring $400 billion over the next 12 years from the defense budget won’t be accomplished by piecemeal trimming or efficiency savings, Gates said in a speech at the American Enterprise Institute, a policy group in Washington. Meeting the goal will require “real cuts” and “real choices,” he said.