Here are the main points of the military budget proposed by US Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who said the 2012 budget would reach 553 billion dollars, an increase of about three percent.

--CUTS TO WEAPONS PROGRAMS

Scrapping the Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle, the amphibious vehicle strongly supported by the US Marine Corps. Manufactured by General Dynamics, the EFV was originally conceived in the 1980s and has cost more than three billion dollars to develop and 12 billion to build. The 80,000-pound armored vehicle is supposed skim the ocean surface at high speed before landing on shore to deliver combat troops. But Gates said it had suffered from "technology problems, development delays, and cost increases," and called for finding a more affordable way to get Marines from ship to shore.

Cancellation of the surface-to-air missile SLAMRAAM, produced by Raytheon for the Army, as well as another missile launcher, the Non-Line of Sight Launch System, made by Lockheed Martin and Raytheon.

Extending development of the Marine version of the F-35 fighter, which has been plagued by incessant technical problems in testing. Gates said the short take-off and vertical landing variant of the Joint Strike Fighter would be put on "the equivalent of a two-year probation" to see if the technology headaches could be resolved. If not, that version of the plane would be scrapped.

The Pentagon's network of intelligence organizations will be consolidated and reorganized, about 100 generals and flag officer positions will be eliminated out of a total of 900 and civilian salaries and hiring would remain frozen, under the proposed budget.

--SPENDING INCREASES

Of about 100 billion dollars in savings identified by the various military services, 28 billion would go towards operating expenses, including health care, pay, training and housing allowances. About 70 billion dollars would be "reinvested" in an array of military programs.

The Air Force plans to buy more MQ-9 Reaper drones, used in Afghanistan, to pay for more training simulators for the F-35 and to make improvements to radars for F-15 fighters. Moreover, the Air Force plans to build a new long-range bomber, with an option for the plane to be operated as an unmanned aircraft.

The Navy plans to buy more F/A-18 fighters and extend the life of 150 of the aircraft as a "hedge" against more delays with the Joint Strike Fighter. The Navy also wants to buy new ships, including a destroyer, a littoral combat ship and fleet oilers.

The Army wants to invest in suicide prevention and substance abuse counseling for its soldiers, upgrade its fleet of Abrams tanks, Bradley and Stryker armored vehicles and expedite the deployment of a new tactical communications network.

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