Gates Pushes For Simpler, Cheaper Weapons

Defense Secretary Robert Gates says the pirate drama over the last week helps prove his point about why the Pentagon should change its weapon-buying habits.

Gates says the Pentagon should make do with more affordable ships, planes and such that get the job done even if they are not perfect. Gates told the Air Force War College Wednesday that the successful killings of three Somali pirates last week shows that the military doesn't need a billion-dollar ship to chase down a group of teenage pirates.

Gates is touring war colleges this week, selling his plan to reorder the Pentagon budget. He wants to cancel some big programs and scale back others.

Earlier this month, Gates recommended halting production of the F-22 fighter jet and scrapping a new helicopter for the president as he outlined deep cuts to many of the military's biggest weapons programs.

Gates said his $534 billion budget proposal represents a "fundamental overhaul" in defense acquisition and reflects a shift in priorities from fighting conventional wars to the newer threats U.S. forces face from insurgents in places such as Afghanistan.