President Joe Biden has unveiled a $715 billion budget request for the Department of Defense for fiscal year 2022, which reflects a 1.6 percent rise from the FY 2021 enacted amount of approximately $703.7 billion.
The proposed defense budget proposal includes $27.7 billion in funds for nuclear modernization efforts, including $3 billion for B-21 Long Range Strike Bomber, $5 billion for Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines and $2.6 billion for the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent program, DOD said Friday.
The Biden administration would earmark $20.4 billion in funds for missile defeat and defense initiatives, including $1.7 billion for Ground-Based Midcourse and Next Generation Interceptors and $562 million for Terminal High Altitude Area Defense ballistic missile defense.
The FY 2022 budget request includes a 2.7 percent pay increase for military and civilian employees, $112 billion for research, development, test and evaluation efforts and $6.6 billion for long range fires. The proposal would invest $2.3 billion in microelectronics, $874 million in artificial intelligence and $398 million in 5G.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said defending the U.S. from foreign and domestic adversaries and ensuring that U.S. troops remain the world’s leading fighting force is his top priority and the president’s FY 2022 proposed budget for the Pentagon meets his commitment.
“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,” added Austin, a 2021 Wash100 Award winner.
The White House requested $12 billion for the procurement of 85 F-35 joint strike fighter jets, $2.5 billion for the purchase of 14 new KC-46 tankers and $1.5 billion for the acquisition of a dozen F-15EX fighter jets.
The proposed budget would allocate $10.4 billion for cyberspace activities and $20.6 billion for space-based systems, including the Overhead Persistent Infrared systems GPS Enterprise and National Security Space Launch programs.
The budget proposal requests $5.1 billion for the Pacific Deterrence Initiative, $617 million for climate change-related efforts and over $500 million for COVID-19 and pandemic preparedness programs.
If you are interested in emerging technology, then check out GovCon Wire’s AI: Innovation in National Security Forum coming up on Thursday. To register for this virtual forum and view other upcoming events, visit the GCW Events page.
