MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The US Department of Defense has spent $58.3 billion over the past two decades for development weapon systems programs, which have been later canceled, a recent Pentagon's report said.
Since 1997, the US Department of Defense has canceled 23 military programs, which were initially funded, the report issued on Tuesday by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics claimed.
"Almost 44 percent of those dollars are in two programs: Future Combat System (FCS; $20.7 billion) and the RAH — 66 Comanche reconnaissance/attack helicopter ($9.8 billion). Eight canceled programs spent at least 100 percent of their original RDT&E [Research Development Test and Evaluation] baseline, including Comanche (but not FCS). On average, about two-thirds to three-fourths of the original RDT&E baselines were spent before these programs were canceled," the report reads.
According to the authors of the report, not all the spent money should be considered wasted, because, despite the cancellation of a program, newly developed technologies can be used in creation of other weapons systems.
