Reply #16: I'm thinking aircraft, too, for a big chunk.

[MADem]

Drones are getting bigger, badder and better and are doing a lot of work that used to require a large plane, a lot of fuel and a pilot and sometimes a crew. They can probably also save some money on pilot accessions, too.

The ships, though, that are already in the pipeline, that's hard to put on hold (not impossible, but hard--the pipeline is something like a decade, almost). You also have a "shipyard ripple" and pipefitters and assorted people get thrown out of work when you do that--DOD gets the savings, but it doesn't help the economy overall.

But having been through this myself, the first cut they generally make is shore station/installation personnel. They tell you to cut billets by "x" percent, and you run around finding full time jobs that can be "collateralized" or "nice to have" programs that can be eliminated. Everyone gets to feel the pain...! Then, they tell you to take a few slices off your infrastructure budget, and if you can't solve that problem by turning off lights and turning down the heat, you have to let a few local workers go and maybe cancel a few more programs! It's sometimes a tough exercise.

Another place where they cut is FUEL costs....ships end up stuck in port, and aircraft don't fly in training exercises as much, because fuel is rationed for a quarter or two. That can get pretty onerous when they cut deep...