By Lin Yuan
5月28日，美国总统拜登正式向国会提交任期内首份国防预算案。从这份国防预算案的总体情况看，美军将加大颠覆性技术和先进武器装备研发投入，同时大幅削减老旧武器装备。
US President Joe Biden officially submitted his first defense budget to congress on May 28, which shows that the US military will invest more in the development of subversive technologies and advanced weapons and equipment while slashing outdated weaponry and devices.
美国2022财年国防预算继续高位运行，引发外界广泛关注和较大争议，未来也将对美军建设产生重要影响。总的来看，美国2022财年国防预算有以下突出特点。
The US 2022 defense budget, which remains on a high level, draws extensive attention and disputes and will bear heavily on America’s military buildup. Generally speaking, this budget has the following prominent features.
一是加大研发投入。2022财年国防预算中，研究、发展、试验与鉴定经费高达1120亿美元，较2021财年增长5.1%。美国防部长奥斯汀称其为“有史以来规模最大的研究、开发、测试评估预算申请”。研发支出增加的部分主要投入微电子、高超音速武器和人工智能等先进技术。比如，美军计划投入23亿美元研发微电子技术，投入8.74亿美元研发人工智能技术，投入3.98亿美元研发军用5G技术，投入38亿美元研发高超音速技术。
First, more investment will be made in R&D. Biden’s 2022 FY defense budget includes USD 112 billion for research, development, testing and verification, a 5.1% increase from the fiscal year of 2021. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III called the budget “the largest-ever research, development, test and evaluation request”. The increment of the R&D expenditure will mainly go to microelectronics, hypersonic weapons, artificial intelligence, and other cutting-edge technologies. For instance, the US military plans to spend USD 2.3 billion on the R&D of microelectronics, USD 874 million on AI, USD 398 million on 5G for military purposes, and USD 3.8 billion on hypersonic technology.
二是强化威慑平台建设。从武器上看，2022财年国防预算要求为美军核力量建设投入277亿美元，以持续推进B-21战略轰炸机、哥伦比亚级弹道导弹核潜艇、下一代空射战略巡航导弹和陆基洲际弹道导弹的研发。从地区上看，2022财年国防预算计划为“太平洋威慑倡议”申请51亿美元经费，其中49亿美元用于提高联合部队的打击能力，包括投资“战斧”系列导弹等。
Second, the construction of deterrent platforms will be intensified. In terms of weapons systems, the 2022 defense budget requests USD 27.7 billion for enhancing nuclear capabilities, including the B-21 strategic bomber, Columbia Class Ballistic Missile Submarine (SSBN), and next-generation air-launched strategic patrol missile and land-based intercontinental ballistic missile. Regionally, the budget requests USD 5.1 billion for the Pacific Deterrence Initiative, of which USD 4.9 billion will be used to improve the combined forces’ strike capability, including developing the Tomahawk missile.
三是加快新旧武器更替速度。美军计划在2022财年退役大量老旧武器装备，其中空军计划退役42架A-10攻击机、48架F-15C/D战斗机、47架F-16C/D战斗机、20架RQ-4“全球鹰”无人机、18架KC-135加油机、14架KC-10加油机、13架C-130H运输机和4架E-8指挥机。海军计划退役7艘导弹巡洋舰和4艘濒海战斗舰等。
Third, new weapons will be developed faster to replace old ones. The US military plans to decommission a large amount of old weapons and equipment in 2022, such as the Air Force’s 42 A-10 attackers, 48 F-15C/D and 47 F-16C/D fighters, 20 RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), 18 KC-135 and 14 KC-10 refueling planes, 13 C-130H transport planes and 4 E-8 lead aircraft. The US Navy also plans to decommission 7 missile cruisers and 4 littoral combat ships.
引发国内广泛不满
America’s astronomical defense budget has been widely frowned upon.
对于拜登政府公布的首份国防预算案，美国国内出现诸多不满声音。阿拉巴马州共和党众议员迈克·罗杰斯发表声明指责拜登“谎报军费”。他认为，新财年国防预算仅比2021财年增加110亿美元，涨幅甚至赶不上通货膨胀的速度。
There are different voices in the US about Biden’s first defense budget request. Rep. Mike D. Rogers (Ala.) accused Biden of lying about military expenses because the new budget request is only USD11 billion more from the previous year, a growth rate lower than inflation.
民主党方面，芭芭拉·李、普拉米拉·贾亚帕尔和马克·波肯等民主党籍众议员对这份预算难掩失望，他们呼吁联邦政府削减已处于过剩状态的国防预算，将更多资金投向教育、医疗、就业等民生领域。
Democratic House members Barbara Lee, Pramila Jayapal and Mark Pocan were disappointed at the budget too. They urged the federal government to cut the excessive defense budget and divert more funds to livelihood sectors such as education, medical care, and employment.
从军方来看，美各军种已开始争夺军费“蛋糕”。美海空军等军种认为，陆军在未来战争中发挥的作用有限，因此，应大幅削减经费预算。近期，部分国会议员指责陆军预算削减过少，对此，陆军出身的美国防部长奥斯汀和参谋长联席会议主席米莱回应称，陆军不打算为其他军兵种“买单”，所有军种都需在项目取舍中作出艰难选择，2022财年国防预算必须充分资助陆军六大现代化优先项目。
Different services within the US military are already vying for a share of the pie. The Navy and Air Force proposed slashing the Army’s funds because it will play a limited role in future warfare, and some congress members recently complained about the mild reduction of Army funds. In response, ex-generals Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley said the Army would not pay the bill for other services, adding that all services need to make tough choices about their projects and that the 2022 defense budget must sufficiently fund the Army’s six modernization programs.
连锁反应值得关注
The chain effects are worth attention.
一方面，谋求绝对军事优势的步伐或将加快。从新财年国防预算的分配情况看，美军的投入重点是前沿军事技术和持久威慑能力。瑞典斯德哥尔摩国际和平研究所研究员亚历山德拉·马克斯泰纳认为，美国军费支出增加主要是由于研发领域的大量投资，以及在核武器现代化和新型武器采购等长期项目上的开支。
On the one hand, the US will take faster steps to secure military superiority. The 2022 defense budget will allocate a major part to develop cutting-edge military technologies and enduring deterrence. Alexandra Marksteiner, a researcher with the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), held that the increase of America’s military expenditure is mainly driven by the huge investments in technological and weaponry R&D and long-term expenses on the modernization of nuclear weapons and purchase of new-type weapons.
另一方面，深陷穷兵黩武泥潭或将难以自拔。美国在新财年国防预算中加大研发投入，削减老旧装备，是在为未来大国竞争做准备。美国瞄准大国竞争，不断扩充军力，无助于新冠肺炎疫情缓解和其他问题的解决，反而会消耗大量经济资源，影响安全发展。尤其是在美国国内产业空心化问题日益凸显、经济增长缺乏实体支撑的背景下，巨额国防预算很可能成为其“无法承受之重”。
On the other hand, the US may be bogged in a war like policy mire. Increasing R&D input and slashing old equipment in the 2022 defense budget is to get ready for major-power competition. America’s obsession with major-power competition and military buildup will in no way help it fight the COVID-19 pandemic or address other problems faced by the country; rather, that will only consume masses of economic resources and undermine its security and development. Especially as its industries are shrinking and there is little real economy to sustain the economic growth, the astronomical defense budget may well be the last straw on the camel.
