DoD FY 2019 budget proposal overview

News

February 13, 2018

Mariana Iriarte

Technology Editor

Military Embedded Systems

WASHINGTON. Department of Defense (DoD) officials released a breakdown of the proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 budget request, which puts aside $686 billion for the Department. The recently enacted Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 lifts the budgetary caps in order for the military to be resourced at a funding level commensurate with the DoD's mission.

The National Security Strategy states that the United States “must reverse recent decisions to reduce the size of the Joint Force and grow the force while modernizing and ensuring readiness.” The FY 2019 budget increases end strength by 25,900 (24,100 in the active components and 1,800 in the reserve components) over the FY 2018 budget. Each military service has a distinctive readiness recovery plan and the increases are targeted to advance these plans to improve readiness and increase lethality.

The budget will focus on prioritizing, ground, air, sea, and space forces. This includes:

Aircraft

77 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters - $10.7 billion
15 KC-46 Tanker Replacements - $3.0 billion
24 F/A-18s - $2.0 billion
60 AH-64E Attack Helicopters - $1.3 billion
6 VH-92 Presidential Helicopters - $0.9 billion
10 P-8A Aircraft - $2.2 billion
8 CH-53K King Stallion - $1.6 billion

Shipbuilding

2 Virginia Class Submarines - $7.4 billion
3 DDG-51 Arleigh Burke Destroyers - $6.0 billion
1 Littoral Combat Ship - $1.3 billion
CVN-78 Class Aircraft Carrier - $1.8 billion
2 Fleet Replenishment Oilers (T-AO) - $1.1 billion
1 Expeditionary Sea Base - $0.7 billion

Ground Systems:

5,113 Joint Light Tactical Vehicles - $2.0 billion
135 M-1 Abrams Tank Modifications - $2.7 billion
30 Amphibious Combat Vehicles - $0.3 billion
197 Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicles - $0.8 billion

Space:

5 Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicles - $2.0 billion
Global Positioning System - $1.5 billion
Space Based Infrared System - $0.8 billion

Missile defense programs:

43 AEGIS Ballistic Missile Defense (SM-3) - $1.7 billion
Ground Based Midcourse Defense - $2.1 billion
82 THAAD Ballistic Missile Defense - $1.1 billion
240 Patriot Advanced Capability (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancements - $1.1 billion

Munitions:

43,594 Joint Direct Attack Munitions - $1.2 billion
9,733 Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) - $1.2 billion
6,826 Small Diameter Bomb I - $0.3 billion
1,260 Small Diameter Bomb II - $0.4 billion
7,045 Hellfire Missiles - $0.6 billion
360 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range - $0.6 billion
1,121 Joint Air-to-Ground Missiles - $0.3 billion

Nuclear programs:

B-21 Long Range Strike Bomber - $2.3 billion
Columbia Class Submarine - $3.7 billion
Long-Range Stand-Off Missile - $0.6 billion
Ground Based Strategic Deterrent - $0.3 billon

According to DoD officials, this budget request invests $13.7 billion in science and technology to further innovation and new and advanced capabilities including hypersonics technology, cyber space, space, directed energy, electronic warfare, unmanned systems, and artificial intelligence. It is also investing in DoD infrastructure to $10.5 billion. It concentrates on ensuring the basing infrastructure is sized to increase force lethality and minimizing the cost of maintaining unneeded capacity.

The budget balances investment in infrastructure across DoD priorities and includes:

Operational and training facilities (including airfield improvements, training ranges,) to increase readiness
Maintenance and production facilities (maintenance hangars, missile assembly building, and high explosives magazine) to improve readings
Recapitalization of facilities in poor and failing condition
Improved Quality-of-Life for service members and their families (including schools, barracks, and medical facilities)

Secretary Mattis has directed Deputy Secretary Shanahan to reform DoD’s business operations and reapply those savings to improve readiness and to increase the lethality and capacity of the military. The DoD is focused on spending wisely by using shared, centralized services with the goal of using best practices to maximize effectiveness in areas including: