Login
iscover
The US government has released its national defence budget request for $886.3 billion to address concerns about strategic competition with the People’s Republic of China.
To continue reading the rest of this article, please log in.
Create free account to get unlimited news articles and more!
The US Department of Defense made the announcement of the fiscal 2024 defence budget request on 14 March.
Under the request, the US Army would receive an estimated $185.3 billion, Navy’s share would be $255.8 billion, and the Air Force would get around $25.2 billion, with Defense-wide funding at $141.7 billion.
The budget is requested by US President Biden and would need US Congress to authorise and appropriate funds to purchase “game-changing capabilities that will deliver not just in the out years, but in the near term,” according to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen H Hicks.
“Our greatest measure of success, and the one we use around here most often is to make sure the (Chinese) leadership wakes up every day, considers the risks of aggression and concludes ‘today is not the day’.
“(The 2024 budget request is) the most strategy aligned budget in history. Nowhere is that alignment more pronounced than in the seriousness with which this budget treats strategic competition with the People’s Republic of China.
“This budget delivers combat-credible joint forces that are the most lethal, resilient, survivable, agile, and responsive in the world.
“It is a force aimed at deterring and, if called upon, defeating threats today and tomorrow, even as the threats themselves advance.
“We ask Congress to support this budget, and we hope this support will include on-time, full-year appropriations for the US government and our service members instead of defaulting to continuing resolutions.
“We cannot have one hand tied behind our back for 3, 4, 5, 6 months of each year. And let me assure you, more money cannot buy back this lost time.”
The 2024 budget request represents a $26 billion increase over the fiscal 2023 enacted budget and fully funds National Defense Strategy implementation for the US.
Under the request, Department of Defense military and civilian members will receive a 5.2 percent pay raise.
It represents a growth of around 6,000 personnel for the Navy, Space Force growth from 8,600 to 9,400 and overall military staff increase from 2,061,645 to 2,074,000.
The key focus of the request is addressing the pacing threat of China, with Russia as an immediate threat and challenges from North Korea, Iran and terror groups also considered. Ukraine support is not detailed and is instead considered supplemental funding on as-need-arises basis.
US Joint Staff director for force structure, resources and assessment, Navy Vice Admiral Sara A Joyner said $170 billion has been set as a procurement budget.
“We will invest over $61 billion to develop, modernise and procure lethal air power,” she said.
“This includes 83 Joint Strike Fighters, 24 F-15EX, and 15 KC-46 tankers. This also includes funding for upgrades to F-22 fighters and money to begin production of the B-21 bomber.”
“The budget calls for $48.1 billion for sea power funds including one Columbia Class submarine, two Virginia Class submarines, two Arleigh Burke destroyers and two Constellation Class frigates.
“The fiscal 2024 request also incrementally funds Ford Class nuclear aircraft carriers and future Columbia Class ballistic submarines.
“All together, our historical investments and platforms and systems across the air, sea, and land domains will increase the lethality of our joint force, enhance our ability to deter threats well into the future.”
Under the request, there is $13.9 billion set aside for land power procurement of 80 amphibious combat vehicles for the Marine Corps and 91 armoured multipurpose vehicles for the Army.
Almost $1 billion is required for research and development funds for the optionally manned fighting vehicle as a replacement for the Bradley fighting vehicle, $11 billion for hypersonic and long-range subsonic missile development as well as $29.8 billion for the missile defeat and defence program.
Around $5.3 billion is required to continue the development and procurement of the B-21 bomber, $6.2 billion to produce the second Columbia Class ballistic submarine and advanced procurement funding for the Sentinel missile program’s initial production launch.
There is also a $33.3 billion request for missile warning technology, funding for GPS follow-on satellite support, and $3 billion to fund 15 launch vehicles and launch-range upgrades in the largest space budget in department history.
