Rumsfeld, Army Chief at Odds on Weapon System

In a rare display of high-level dissension, a top Army official took issue Thursday with Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld’s decision to cancel the $11-billion Crusader artillery program.

Appearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Eric K. Shinseki said the abrupt program termination would expose U.S. ground troops to more risk while a new generation of weaponry is being developed.

“That window of risk is extended now until we find a replacement system,” Shinseki testified.

Shinseki’s statement appeared to contradict assurances made to the panel earlier in the day by Rumsfeld, and could add fuel to efforts in Congress to keep the Crusader program alive.

Rumsfeld told committee members that his decision to kill the program would provide greater protection to U.S. infantry by accelerating development of more-advanced, so-called smart weapons.

“Skipping Crusader to emphasize precision munitions and rocket systems does not put U.S. forces at risk, as some have suggested,” Rumsfeld said. “Rather, it will reduce future risk and speed the introduction” of the other systems.

Rumsfeld testified that he respected the opinions of those who want to continue the Crusader program. But he said he and President Bush had come to a different conclusion after evaluating the future needs of the entire U.S. military, not just the Army.

Rumsfeld faces stiff opposition within Congress for deciding to call off acquisition of 480 mobile artillery cannons after the government has spent $2 billion on the initial development of the Crusader weapons. Lawmakers representing districts where the Crusader would be built are attempting to overrule his action.

The Defense secretary acknowledged that the Crusader, a 155-millimeter, self-propelled howitzer, would provide better ground troop support than the Paladin cannons it would replace. “It’s a good piece of equipment,” Rumsfeld said.

But he said the additional $9 billion earmarked for the Crusader could be put to even better use by developing precision-guided munitions and rocket systems more suited to the battlefields of tomorrow than “dumb” artillery cannons.

Rumsfeld said he had reached his conclusion after lengthy deliberations, and that Bush fully concurred.

“The president ... is solidly behind this decision; there is no ambiguity,” Rumsfeld said. “It’s no fun for him to cancel a program that some people want. It’s no fun for me ... [but] it’s an obligation we’ve got.”

Some committee members remained unconvinced. Sen. James M. Inhofe (R-Okla.), who is expected to offer an amendment on the Senate floor to overrule Rumsfeld’s decision, questioned whether Bush was fully informed about the Crusader’s merits.

“I just wonder if the president has had the briefings necessary” to reach a conclusion, Inhofe said. “He’s had a lot of things on his mind.”

Several lawmakers were sharply critical of Rumsfeld’s decision to call off the program after previously endorsing a budget request for $475 million in Crusader funding for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1.

Last week, the House approved a defense funding measure containing the $475 million, along with a nonbinding provision urging the Pentagon to keep the program alive. The Senate has not yet voted on the defense bill.

Besides its inability to provide precise targeting, the Crusader is extremely difficult to deploy, Rumsfeld said. Each mobile cannon weighs about 40 tons, and must be accompanied by a resupply vehicle weighing 34 tons.