Reuters reports that “top U.S. defense officials are bracing for a brutal season of budget negotiations, warning U.S. lawmakers that the U.S. military will gradually become unable to respond to emerging crises if Congress blocks the Pentagon’s plans to cut military compensation, close bases and retire entire fleets of aircraft.”  

“Senior officials have also begun mapping out in stark terms what additional weapons and capabilities will be sacrificed if Congress does not reverse mandatory budget cuts that are due to resume in fiscal 2016 under a process known as sequestration.”  

“Air Force Undersecretary Eric Fanning told reporters on Tuesday other programs would have to be cut if Congress blocked the service’s plan to retire both its U-2 spy plane fleet and its fleet of A-10 Warthog planes for close air support.”