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Highlights from the President's FY 2018 Budget Request: Dept. of Defense

May 26, 2017

Unless otherwise noted, all FY 2018 figures are from the department’s budget justification, and all FY 2017 figures are from DoD’s FY 2017 request with continuing resolution adjustments.

The FY 2018 budget request for the Department of Defense (DOD) would provide $574.5 billion in discretionary base funding. Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) would receive a total $83.3 billion – an $11 billion (15.2 percent) increase. This includes $13.2 billion for Science and Technology, a $0.6 billion (4.8 percent) increase, which is comprised of Basic Research, Applied Research and Advanced Technology Development. DoD Basic Research would receive $2.2 billion ($0.2 billion; 4.8 percent increase), Applied Research $5 billion ($0.2 billion; 3.3 percent increase), and Advanced Technology Development $6 billion ($0.4 billion; 6.4 percent increase).

In the FY 2018 agency budget proposal, the DoD is pursuing new technology development, operational concepts, and organizational constructs in several areas including:

  • $252.9 million for Common Kill Vehicle Technology development (previously funded in FY 2016 at $60.9 million);
  • $247.4 million for Space Programs and Technology development, a $72.2 million (41.2 percent) increase;
  • $155.4 million for Advanced Aerospace Systems, a $26.9 million (14.8 percent) decrease;
  • $136.2 million for Defense-Wide Manufacturing Science and Technology Program including DoD-funded ManufacturingUSA institutes, a $22.2 million (14 percent) decrease;
  • $29.6 million in new funding for the Defense Innovation Unit-Experimental (DIUx) program; and,
  • $14.4 million for Joint Electronic Advanced Technology efforts, a $7.6 million (34.5 percent) decrease.

FY 2018 budget request for DoD, RDT&E by military branch (in millions of dollars, change from FY 2017 request with continuing resolution adjustments)

 

Army

Navy

Air Force

Defense-Wide

Basic Research

430.0
(0.3%)

596.0
(9.8%)

505.0
(1%)

2,229.0
(6%)

Applied Research

889.0
(-2%)

866.0
(2.9%)

1,284.0
(1.9%)

4,973.0
(3.3%)

Advanced Technology
Development

1,071.0
(13.4%)

686.0
(-6.9%)

794.0
(9.4%)

6,022.0
(6.4%)

Advanced Component
Development and Prototypes

909.0
(55.5%)

4,246.0
(-11.2%)

4,618.0
(8%)

17,150.0
(12.4%)

System Development
and Demonstration

3,070.0
(18%)

6,362.0
(4.1%)

4,476.0
(8%)

14,728.0
(8.9%)

Management Support

1,254.0
(7.9%)

946.0
(3%)

2,644.0
(94.5%)

6,085.0
(31.0%)

Operational System
Development

1,921.0
(29.7%)

4,082.0
(6.7%)

20,707.0
(15%)

31,780.0
(13.7%)

Total

9,545.0
(17.3%)

17,805.0
(-3.9%)

35,050.0
(34.1%)

83,328.0
(15.2%)

Funding levels for select DOD research agencies and research programs in the FY 2018 budget include:

fy18 budget, federal budget, dept of defense