Analysis of FY09 Pentagon Spending Request

The Center’s Chris Hellman and Travis Sharp released their Analysis of the Fiscal Year 2009 Pentagon Spending Request today. They note that the total “top line” funding request by the Bush administration for the Defense Department in FY09 is $515.4 billion, an increase of $35.9 billion over current levels.

Of special interest, the Bush administration request increases funding for the Missile Defense Agency by approximately 4 percent over current levels to a total of $8.9 billion. It also increases funding for the nuclear weapons activities of the Department of Energy by 5.1 percent to $6.6 billion, while decreasing DoE’s nuclear nonproliferation work by 6.7 percent to a total of $1.2 billion. The request similarly decreases funding for Cooperative Threat Reduction (“Nunn-Lugar”) by 2.8 percent to $414.1 million.

See a pattern?

Included below are the sections of Hellman and Sharp’s terrific analysis that are especially relevant to nuclear weapons and nonproliferation issues. Click here for the full analysis.

HIGHLIGHTS

“Top Line” Funding -- The Bush Administration is requesting $515.4 billion for the Department of Defense in Fiscal Year 2009, which begins on October 1, 2008. This is $35.9 billion more than the current levels, an increase of 7.5 percent, and inflation-adjust (“real”) increase of 5.4 percent. This figure does not include funding for the nuclear weapons activities of the Department of Energy, which is considered part of total “National Defense” spending (Function 050). Nor does this figure include the costs of ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Office of Management and Budget estimates that total annual funding for the Defense Department alone will grow to $546 billion by Fiscal Year 2013, a figure which is undoubtedly low. Total Pentagon spending, not including funding for the Department of Energy or for actual combat operations for the period FY’09 through FY’13 will reach $2.6 trillion.

Meanwhile, in January the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the deficit for FY’09 will be $198 billion. This estimate assumes that only $70 billion will be appropriated for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and does not include the additional supplemental funding that will be requested later in the year.

Funding for Contingency Operations (Supplemental Appropriations) – In addition to its annual budget request, the Pentagon is also requesting $70 billion in supplemental funding for combat operations for Fiscal Year 2009. According to the Pentagon, this is only a partial figure, and additional funds will be requested later in the year. Congress has already approved nearly $700 billion in supplemental funding for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and an additional $126 billion in FY’08 war funding is still pending before the House and Senate.

Missile Defense – The Administration is requesting $8.9 billion for the Missile Defense Agency in FY’09, up roughly $350 million from the current $8.6 billion. Missile defense continues to receive more funding than any other weapons program in the annual Pentagon budget. This total does not include $2.3 billion for the SBIRS-High satellite program and a further $1 billion for programs such as Patriot and MEADS that are being funded directly by the services.

Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) -- The Administration is requesting $414.1 million for the CTR (also known as “Nunn-Lugar”) program, 2.8 percent below the current level of $425.9 million. The CTR program assists Russia and the former Soviet republics safeguard weapons of mass destruction and related technologies.

Department of Energy Activities – The request includes $6.6 billion for the nuclear weapons activities of the Department of Energy (a 5.1 percent increase), and $1.2 billion for DoE’s nuclear nonproliferation work (a 6.7 percent decrease). It includes $10 million for the Reliable Replacement Warhead (RRW) program, and $302 million for the Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative – the Research & Development portion of the nuclear spent fuel reprocessing program under the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership.

TOTAL REQUESTED FUNDING - Future Year’s Defense Plan (FYDP) DoD Military (Function 050, including weapons activities of the Department of Energy and funding from other miscellaneous accounts.)

FY'08 $566.2 billion estimated*
FY’09 $540.9 billion requested
FY'10 $530.9 billion projected
FY'11 $544.8 billion projected
FY’12 $559.2 billion projected
FY'13 $573.9 billion projected
Total, FY’09-'13 $2,749.7 billion projected

* This figure likely includes a portion of the costs of military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, but does not appear to include an estimated $126 billion in emergency war funding still pending before Congress

FY’09 FUNDING REQUEST FOR BALLISTIC MISSILE DEFENSE

Ballistic Missile Defense Agency
$8,605.6 million -- FY’08 Total
$8,946.1 million -- FY’09 Request

SELECTED FUNCTIONS

Terminal Defense
$1,045.3 million -- FY’08 Total
$1,019.1 million -- FY’09 Request

Boost Defense
$510.2 million -- FY’08 Total
$421.2 million -- FY’09 Request

Midcourse Defense
$2,243.2 million -- FY’08 Total
$2,076.7 million -- FY’09 Request

AEGIS BMD
$1,126.3 million -- FY’08 Total
$1,157.8 million -- FY’09 Request

BMD Sensors
$585.1 million -- FY’08 Total
$1,077.0 million -- FY’09 Request

Space Tracking & Surveillance
$231.5 million – FY’08 Total
$242.4 million – FY’09 Request

BMD Technologies
$108.4 million -- FY’08 Total
$118.7 million -- FY’09 Request

Advanced Concepts
$196.9 million -- FY’08 Total
$288.3 million -- FY’09 Request

BMD System Interceptors
$340.1 million -- FY’08 Total
$386.8 million -- FY’09 Request

Multiple Kill Vehicle
$229.9 million -- FY’08 Total
$354.5 million -- FY’09 Request

Other MDA Programs
$1,934.0 million -- FY’08 Total
$1,748.3 million -- FY’09 Request

Joint Theater Air Missile Defense Org. (Joint Staff)
$53.7 million -- FY’08 Total
$55.3 million -- FY’09 Request

GRAND TOTAL Ballistic Missile Defense
$10,438.7 million -- FY’08 Total
$12,259.9 million -- FY’09 Request