DOD proposes 3.2% spending increase on electronics and communications in 2011 budget set to reach $17.45 billion

Posted by John Keller

WASHINGTON, 9 Feb. 2010. Leaders of the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) propose spending $17.45 billion in fiscal year 2011 for procurement and research in military communications, electronics, telecommunications, and intelligence (CET&I) technologies, which would represent an increase of 3.2 percent increase from current-year enacted levels of $16.9 billion, according to Pentagon budget documents.

This amount in the 2011 DOD budget does not include military activities with substantial electronics content, such as aircraft avionics, vetronics, and missile guidance; when these are added, DOD spending levels for military electronics and defense electro-optics could approach $106.2 billion, industry analysts believe.

Experts estimate that total DOD information technology, electronics, and electro-optics spending is roughly 15 percent of the total DOD budget. Most of the DOD's technology spending is in the procurement, research, and development accounts.

The DOD's CET&I budget request for next year consists of $11.65 billion in CET&I procurement -- up 3.86 percent from current-year levels of $11.22 billion -- and $5.8 billion in CET&I research and development -- up 2 percent from current-year levels of $5.68 billion.

The U.S. Army in 2011 is asking for $7.96 billion in CET&I procurement and research -- 0.46 percent from current-year levels of $7.93 billion. The Army's CET&I request consists of $6.73 billion in communications and electronics procurement, and $772.49 million in communications and intelligence research and development.

The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps in 2011 are asking for $3.29 billion CET&I procurement and research -- up 2.23 percent from current-year levels of $3.22 billion. This request consists of $1.96 billion for Navy and Marine Corps communications and electronics procurement, and $1.33 billion in combined Navy/Marine Corps communications and intelligence research.

The U.S. Air Force in 2011 is asking for $5.37 billion for CET&I procurement and research -- up 9 percent from current-year levels of $4.92 billion. The Air Force CET&I request consists of $2.39 billion for communications and telecommunications procurement, and $2.98 billion for intelligence and communications research and development.

Service-independent Pentagon agencies are asking for $823.85 million in CET&I procurement and research in 2011 -- down 3.91 percent from current-year levels of $857.41 million. This request consists of $67.81 million in communications and electronics procurement, and $756 million in intelligence and communications research and development.

In total for 2011, which begins next Oct. 1, DOD leaders are asking Congress for $708 billion -- $549 billion in discretionary spending, and $159 billion to support the continuing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan -- which the Obama Administration calls "overseas contingency operations."

The DOD's proposed $549 billion discretionary budget includes spending proposals for military personnel, military construction, and family housing. This $549 billion base DOD budget is about 3.3 percent larger, or an increase of $18 billion, than the 2010 base DOD budget, according to Pentagon documents.

For procurement in 2010, DOD is asking Congress for $137.48 billion, which is up 1.05 percent from current-year procurement spending of $136.06 billion. For research and development, DOD proposes to spend $76.77 billion in 2011, which is down 5.13 percent from current-year spending of $80.92 billion. It now is up to Congress to authorize or reject the military's spending proposals.

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