Posted by John Keller

WASHINGTON, 14 Feb. 2011. The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) is asking Congress for $670.9 billion in federal fiscal year 2012, a 37.3 percent reduction from the 2011 request, which reflects the Obama Administration's plans to begin winding down military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere, DOD announced today.

The proposed $670.9 billion 2012 DOD budget consists of $553.1 billion for normal Pentagon operations, a 4.2 percent increase from 2011 -- and $117.8 billion for military operations, which represents a 41.5 percent decrease from 2011. Federal fiscal year 2012 begins on 1 Oct. 2011.

The Pentagon for next year is asking for $113.01 billion for procurement -- up from the 2011 request of $104.79 billion; $75.33 billion for research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) -- a drop from the 2011 request of $80.39 billion; and $204.42 billion for operations and maintenance -- up sharply from the 2011 request of $184.49 billion.

The base budget of each service individually would get more money next year than was requested in 2011. The U.S. Navy budget request for 2012 is $161.4 billion -- up from this year's request of $155.64 billion; the U.S. Air Force would receive $149.97 billion next year -- up from this year's request of $143.24 billion; the U.S. Army would receive $144.87 billion next year, up from the 2011 request of $136.76 billion; and defense agencies would receive $96.85 billion -- up from their 2011 request of $90.5 billion.

The proposed 2012 Pentagon budget asks Congress to reduce purchases of tactical aircraft from 76 this year to 62 next year -- including reducing purchases of the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter from 42 to 32, yet compensating by increasing purchases of the F/A-18 E/F fighter-bomber from 22 to 28. Purchases of the EA-18G Growler electronic warfare jet would remain stable at 12 aircraft next year.

Total purchases of unmanned aerial vehicles in 2012 would increase to 1,395 -- up sharply from the 2011 DOD request for 459 UAVs. Unmanned aircraft purchases in 2012 would include three Global Hawk and Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) UAVs, 84 Predator UAVs, and 1,308 smaller UAVs.

The DOD's shipbuilding budget in 2012 would be $24.6 billion, which would fund building 11 ships, including one Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, two Virginia-class fast-attack submarines, four Littoral Combat Ships, one San Antonio-class amphibious transport ship, two Joint High-Speed Vessels, one mobile landing platform, and advanced-procurement money for one Ford-class aircraft carrier.

The DOD 2012 budget request now goes to Congress for consideration. For more information, the DOD's fiscal year 2012 budget request documents are online at http://comptroller.defense.gov/Budget2012.html.