US lawmakers warn that “more military spending is absolutely necessary” to ensure Pentagon’s readiness
The US Congress has raised concerns about how inflation rates and cuts in main acquisition programmes could affect the US military.
easyJet has reported its passenger and load factors figures for February 2010 and the rolling 12-month to the end of February.
During the month the airline carried 3,390,523 passengers, 12.3% more than the 3,018,910 carried last February. The load factor, however, dropped by 1,7 percentage points to 85.3% from 87.0% in the same month last year.
For the rolling 12 month period ending 28 February 2010, easyJet carried 46,752,084 passengers, an increase of 5.2% over the 44,439,653 carried in the 12 month period to the end of February 2009. The load factors for the respective periods were 86.1% and 85.1%, thus showing a 1.0 pp rise in the most recent period.
The US Congress has raised concerns about how inflation rates and cuts in main acquisition programmes could affect the US military.
Washington’s ageing inventory and the pace Moscow and Beijing have been modernising their capabilities put in check the US Nuclear deterrence.
The Pentagon has been operating under temporary funding since October 2023, which has impacted its main acquisition and development programmes, increasing the capability gap between the US and China.
In 2023, defence spending increased by an unprecedented 11% across European NATO countries and Canada. Since 2014, the group has spent an additional US$600 billion on defence.
The DoD requested nearly US$850 billion to fund operations over the next fiscal year. Despite the amount being 1% higher than the FY2024 budget request, it has not covered the 3% inflation rate, which could impact the DoD’s main programmes in the medium and long term.
As gangs gain control of Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s Caribbean neighbours have been preparing to intervene in the failed state, with the US and other partners waiting in the wings with equipment and financial support.