If Congress fails to act, DoD will be forced to take a meat-axe to procurement, health care, pensions and personnel costs. Already, deficit hawks in Washington are pressing for 301 fewer F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, terminating the Littoral Combat Ship, stopping production of 16 planned DDG-51 destroyers, cutting 236,000 civilian personnel, and increasing premiums for TRICARE, the department’s health care system.