Statement by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III on the President’s Fiscal Year 2022 Budget
“As the Secretary of Defense, my chief priority is defending America from enemies foreign and domestic and ensuring our troops remain the world’s preeminent fighting force. President Biden’s FY 2022 Defense Budget meets this commitment with critical investments to help us match resources to strategy, strategy to policy, and policy to the will of the American people. The budget provides us the mix of capabilities we need most and stays true to our focus on the pacing challenge from the People’s Republic of China, combating the damaging effects of climate change on our military installations, and modernizing our capabilities to meet the advanced threats of tomorrow. Importantly, this budget invests in our people, the brave women and men in uniform around the world who serve on behalf of this great nation.” – Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III
The Biden-Harris Administration today submitted to Congress the President’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 Budget request of $752.9 billion for national defense, $715 billion of which is for the Department of Defense (DOD). The FY 2022 Defense Budget submission reflects President Biden’s priorities to end the “forever wars,” invest in cutting-edge capabilities for our military and national security advantage in the future, and revitalize America’s unmatched network of alliances and partnerships.
The United States military faces substantial challenges, emanating from countries like China and Russia, and from threats to global security, such as from climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The budget addresses these challenges, and others, by making key investments that defend our nation, while innovating and modernizing, taking care of our warfighters, and building strong relationships with our allies and partners alongside other elements of national security.
The FY 2022 Defense Budget reflects the President’s national security values and priorities. It is a strategy-based budget aligned with the President’s Interim National Security Strategic Guidance, which emphasizes:
- A solemn obligation to protect the security of the American people.
- Enduring interest in expanding economic prosperity and opportunity.
- A commitment to realizing and defending the democratic values at the heart of the American way of life.
To meet these goals, the budget request:
- Takes a broader approach to national security to address threats such as climate change, Covid-19, and extremism.
- Makes smart and disciplined choices regarding our national defense, particularly by aligning our resources to evolving threats.
- Addresses strategic competition with China through calculated defense investments.
The FY 2022 President’s Budget request of $715 billion when compared to the FY 2021 enacted amount of $703.7 billion, reflects a 1.6% increase. Importantly, the requested amount reflects a shift in resources to match priorities. For the Navy and Air Force, there are additional investments to address strategic competition with China. For the Army, the request reflects the President’s decision to withdraw all U.S. troops from Afghanistan prior to the beginning of FY 2022.
For the first time since September 11, 2001, DOD direct war and enduring operation costs are included within the base budget request, rather than as a separate Overseas Contingency Operation (OCO) request.
The Department’s FY 2022 Budget ensures that the Department will defend the nation, which includes funding for:
- COVID-19 and pandemic preparedness - over $500 million
- Pacific Deterrence Initiative - $5.1 billion
- Preparing for, adapting to and mitigating climate change - $617 million
The Department’s FY 2022 Budget focuses innovation and modernization. Nuclear Modernization ($27.7 billion). Investments include:
- B-21 Long Range Strike Bomber - $3 billion
- COLUMBIA Class Ballistic Missile Submarine - $5 billion
- Long-Range Stand-Off (LRSO) Missile - $609 million
- Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) - $2.6 billion
Missile Defeat and Defense ($20.4 billion). Investments include:
- Sea-Based Interceptors (SM-3 IIA and SM-3 IB) - $647 million
- Sea-Based Ballistic Missile Defense System (AEGIS BMD) - $1 billion
- Ground-Based Midcourse (GMD) and Improved Homeland Defense/Next Generation Interceptors (NGI) - $1.7 billion
- Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) Ballistic Missile Defense - $562 million
- Patriot Advanced Capability Missile Segment Enhancement - $777 million
Long Range Fires ($6.6 billion). Investments include:
- Includes funds to develop and field multi-Service, multi-domain offensive Long Range Fires
Science and Technology and Advanced Capability Enablers. Investments include:
- Largest ever RDT&E request - $112 billion
- Science and Technology - $14.7 billion
- Microelectronics - $2.3 billion
- Artificial Intelligence - $874 million
- 5G - $398 million
Lethal Air Forces ($52.4 billion). Investments include:
- 85 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters - $12 billion
- 14 KC-46 Tanker Replacements - $2.5 billion
- 9 CH-53K King Stallion - $1.7 billion
- 12 F-15EX - $1.5 billion
- 30 AH-64E Apache Attack Helicopters - $825 million
Combat Effective Naval Forces ($34.6 billion). Investments include:
- COLUMBIA Class Ballistic Missile Submarine - $5 billion
- CVN-78 FORD Class Aircraft Carrier - $2.9 billion
- 2 Virginia Class Submarines - $6.9 billion
- 1 DDG-51 Arleigh Burke Destroyer - $2.4 billion
- 1 Frigate (FFG(X)) - $1.3 billion
- 1 Fleet Replenishment Oiler (T-AO) - $853 million
- Unmanned Surface Vessels (USV) (Large) - $203 million
- 2 Towing, Salvage, and Rescue Ships (T-ATS) - $184 million
- 1 Ocean Surveillance Ship (T-AGOX(X)) - $434 million
Combat Effective Ground Forces ($12.3 billion). Investments include:
- 3,799 Joint Light Tactical Vehicles - $1.1 billion
- 70 M-1 Abrams Tank Modifications/Upgrades - $1 billion
- 92 Amphibious Combat Vehicles - $613 million
Space and Space-Based Systems ($20.6 billion). Investments include:
- 5 Launch Vehicles - National Security Space Launch (NSSL) and Rocket System Launch Program (RSLP) - $1.7 billion
- Global Positioning System (GPS) Enterprise - $1.8 billion
- Space Based Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) Systems - $2.6 billion
Cyberspace Activities ($10.4 billion). Investments include cybersecurity, cyberspace operations, and research and development in support of cybersecurity and cyberspace operations.
Divestments of older and less-capable platforms and programs that no longer meet mission and/or security needs ($2.8 billion). Includes:
- Army: Divests night vision imaging system, missile launcher, electronic warfare, and IT - $47.8 million
- Navy: Decommissions ships (CG, LSD, LCS) and divests aircraft (F/A-18 A-D, RQ-21) - $1.3 billion
- Air Force: Divests aircraft (A-10, F-15 C/D, F-16 C/D, KC-135, KC-10, C-130H, E-8, RQ-4 block 20 and 30) - $1.4 billion
- USSOCOM: Divests select intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) programs- $117.9 million
The FY 2022 Budget builds on current readiness gains and modernizes for the future fight across the Services and USSOCOM ($122.1 billion). Investments include:
- Army readiness - $27.8 billion
- Navy and Marine Corps readiness - $48.5 billion
- Air Force readiness - $36.5 billion
- Special Operations Command readiness - $9.4 billion
- Driven by divestments and a focus on the future fight, the Department’s request of 2.146 million military personnel is a slight decrease in end strength for FY 2022
DOD’s most critical asset is its people. To ensure the U.S. military remains the preeminent force in the world, the FY 2022 Budget takes care of Service members, their families, and our civilian workforce. The budget request:
- Includes a 2.7% pay raise for both military and civilian personnel
- Sustains family support programs with investment of $8.6 billion for:
- Professional development and education opportunities for Service members and military spouses
- Quality, affordable child care for over 160,000 children
- Youth programs serving over 1 million family members
- DOD Dependent Schools educating over 74,000 students
- Establishes the Defense Center of Excellence for Sexual Assault Prevention, Response, Education, and Training
- Strengthens DOD tools to identify and address extremism in the ranks
Investing in facilities improvement and high quality housing helps our people serve safely and effectively. Facility investments include:
- Military construction and family housing – nearly $10 billion
- Military construction is 17% higher than last year’s enacted amount
- Facilities sustainment, restoration, and modernization (FSRM) - $15 billion
- FSRM is $1 billion more than last year
- Full funding of all executable remediation activities for Per- and Polyfluroalkyl substances at locations closed through Base Realignment and Closure efforts
- Ensuring privatized and government housing is safe, high-quality, and well-maintained through sustained funding that is over $50 million higher than the amount requested only two years ago.
DOD leads, not merely by the example of our power, but by the power of our example. DOD succeeds through teamwork, as it will:
- Join forces with allies and partners
- Buttress diplomacy and advance foreign policy that employs all instruments of national power, creating integrated deterrence
- Prioritize rebuilding mutually beneficial defense relationships around the world to maintain DOD’s competitive edge far from American shores
- Build partner nation capacity and increase interoperability
- Embrace international cooperation for a better, safer, more resilient, more prosperous world
DOD works in partnership with our Nation. The Department will help America build back better by investing in critical supply chains, the U.S. manufacturing workforce, small businesses, and military families. Those efforts include:
- Defense Production Act request to partner with U.S. companies to boost the defense industrial base and bring critical supply chains back to the U.S., including rare earth elements and microelectronics - $341 million
- Investments to accelerate DOD’s response to climate change, which effects nearly every aspect of DOD missions, facilities, and operations - $617 million
- Invest in global health and medical research investments to fight COVID and prepare for future pandemics
The entire budget proposal and additional materials are available at: https://www.defense.gov/cj