Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta is meeting top U.S. defense

industry leaders on Tuesday, concerned that deep budget cuts will not only

harm their industries but the national security of the country.

         Pentagon Press Secretary George Little told reporters that the

Panetta “is looking forward to hearing the views of industry leaders.”

“He believes that a strong and healthy defense industrial base is vital to

our national security, and that preserving the Department’s partnership with

industry is a top priority,” Little said. “The Secretary will emphasize the

need for industry to work with the Department to promote the twin

imperatives of strong national defense and fiscal discipline.  He believes

that we can work together effectively to achieve that important outcome.”

    Military analysts, industry leaders and officials have voiced their

concerns that the defense department will be weakened by plans to trim

roughly $350 billion from previously projected spending in the next ten

years under the debt-ceiling plan which passed August, 2.

    And that’s just the beginning of possible cuts.

    An additional $600 billion in cuts may come into play if Congress is

unable to trim the deficit by $1.2 trillion during the same time over the

next decade.