WASHINGTON — When lawmakers return to Capitol Hill next week, they will begin considering the Pentagon’s colossal budget request. The Defense Department is asking Congress for $718 billion in its fiscal 2020 budget, an increase of $33 billion or about 5% over what Congress enacted for fiscal 2019.
The budget is composed of a $544.5 billion base budget, $9.2 billion for emergency border funding and $164 billion for overseas contingency operations funding, aka the war budget.
The Navy and Marine Corps request $205.6 billion, up $9.9 billion from fiscal 2019; the Air Force calls for $204.8 billion, up $11.8 billion from the last request, and the Army asks for $191.4 billion, up $12.5 billion from fiscal 2019.
Congress has until Oct. 1 to approve the budget or negotiate a new funding deal with the White House.
The Pentagon is asking for $57.7 billion to invest in the military’s air domain. Of that total, the Defense Department wants $11.2 billion to buy 78 F-35 jets. The F-35 is Lockheed Martin’s largest program and the world’s most expensive weapons system.
Other major investments:
- 78 F-35 fighters: $11.2 billion
- 1 B-21 long-range strike bomber: $3 billion
- 12 KC-46 tankers: $2.3 billion
- 24 F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet fighters: $2 billion
- 48 AH-64E attack helicopters: $1 billion
- 6 P-8A Poseidon surveillance and anti-submarine planes: $1.5 billion
- 8 F-15EX fighters: $1.1 billion
The Pentagon wants $34.7 billion, the largest request in more than 20 years for shipbuilding, to grow and modernize the Navy’s fleet. The Pentagon is also asking for long-range anti-ship missiles and a pair of unmanned surface vehicles to diversify the Navy’s capabilities.
Other major investments:
- 1 CVN-78 Ford-class aircraft carrier: $2.6 billion
- 3 Virginia-class submarines: $10.2 billion
- 3 DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers: $5.8 billion
- 1 frigate: $1.3 billion
- 2 unmanned surface vehicles: $447 million
The Pentagon is requesting $14.6 billion for ground combat systems. The request includes 6,402 combat and tactical vehicles with a price tag of $7.2 billion.
Other major investments:
- 4,090 joint light tactical vehicles: $1.6 billion
- 165 M-1 Abrams tank modifications: $2.2 billion
- 56 amphibious combat vehicles: $0.4 billion
- 131 armored multi-purpose vehicles: $0.6 billion
The Pentagon is requesting $14.1 billion to invest in the emerging security environment in outer space. Of that, it wants $72.4 million for a new Space Force headquarters, ahead of the establishment of a sixth and separate military branch proposed last year by Trump.
Other major investments:
- New U.S. Space Force headquarters: $72.4 million
- Continued investment in space launch capacity: $1.7 billion
- Improved space-based missile warning capabilities: $1.6 billion
