by Christopher Hellman and Travis Sharp
The Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) completed its markup of S. 1585, the FY2008 Defense Authorization bill, on May 25, 2007. The Administration submitted its FY2008 national defense request in February in two separate parts: a base budget of $507 billion and a war-related spending package of $141.8 billion to support ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In its markup, the Committee transferred approximately $13 billion from the revised $140.5 billion war-related spending package to the $507 billion base budget. The Committee version authorizes the base budget at approximately $520 billion and war-related spending for Iraq and Afghanistan at $127.5 billion, for a total of $647.5 billion. These funding levels are within the levels mandated by the Budget Resolution adopted by the Senate in May. The full Senate begins taking up consideration of S. 1585 the week of July 9.
In order to maintain accounting transparency, this analysis divides base budget and war-related authorizations. For war-related spending and authorization, see “Title XV – Ongoing Operations in Iraq and Afghanistan” below.
BASE BUDGET
HIGHLIGHTS
Increase in Military Basic Pay – Authorizes a 3.5% across-the-board pay raise for military personnel, 0.5% higher than the Administration’s request. The raise, which was also included in the House’s final version of the authorization bill, would become effective January 1, 2008 and is intended “to recognize the outstanding service and sacrifice of the men and women of the armed forces and their families.”
End Strengths for Active Forces – Authorizes active-duty end strengths of 525,400 for the Army and 189,000 for the Marine Corps, 36,000 and 9,000 above the Administration’s request, respectively. DOD plans to permanently increase the active Army’s end strength to 547,000 and the active Marine Corps’s to 202,000 by FY2012.
Missile Defense in Europe – Cuts $85 million from the Administration’s $310.4 million request for the proposed deployment of a Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) missile defense system in Europe. Limits the availability of authorized funding until two conditions have been met: 1) approval is given by the countries in which missile defense components are to be located; and 2) 45 days have elapsed since Congress receives a report from the Secretary of Defense on the proposed deployment.
Future Combat Systems (FCS) – Fully funds the Administration’s $3.6 billion request for Future Combat Systems, an advanced collection of armored vehicles, robots, and aerial drones connected through a sophisticated battle command network. The House cut $867 million from FCS in its version of the authorization bill.
Reliable Replacement Warhead (RRW) – For RRW funding in the Department of Energy, the bill cuts $43 million from the Administration’s $238.1 million RRW request, limits the funding that can be used for RRW in FY2008 to $195.1 million, and limits RRW program activities to Phase 2A and below. The Committee also zeroed out the Administration’s $15 million RRW request for Navy research and development.
DoD Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) “Nunn-Lugar” – Adds $100 million to the Administration’s $348 million request for CTR for states of the former Soviet Union.
DoE Nonproliferation Programs – Adds $87 million to DoE nonproliferation programs. Included in the $87 million increase are $50.0 million for next generation nuclear detection technologies, the nuclear explosion monitoring program, and technologies to support improved nuclear material forensic capabilities; $14.0 million to accelerate shutdown of the plutonium producing reactor at Zheleznogorsk, Russia; $10.0 million for the second line of defense core program; $8.0 million for global initiatives for proliferation prevention; and $5.0 million for international regimes including technical assistance to IAEA for enhanced safeguards activities.
FUNDING PROVISIONS
Division A
Total Funding (Budget Function 050)
- Administration request: $507 billion
- Committee: $520 billion
- NOTE: Includes $13 billion moved from Title XV
Procurement
- Administration request: $101.7 billion
- Committee: $109.8 billion
Research, Development, Testing & Evaluation (RDT&E)
- Administration request: $75.1 billion
- Committee: $74.7 billion
Operations & Maintenance
- Administration request: $142.9 billion
- Committee: $143.5 billion
Military Personnel
- Administration request: $105.4 billion
- Committee: $109.4 billion
Other DoD Authorizations
- Administration request: $26.2 billion
- Committee: $26 billion
Division B
[Note: The House authorized a combined $21.2 billion for Military Construction, Housing, and BRAC.]
Military Construction
- Administration request: $9.8 billion
- Committee: $10.5 billion
Military Housing
- Administration request: $2.9 billion
- Committee: $2.9 billion
Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC)
- Administration request: $8.4 billion
- Committee: $8.4 billion
Division C
Atomic Energy Defense Activities in the Department of Energy (Budget Function 053)
- Administration request: $15.9 billion
- Committee: $15.9 billion
MAJOR WEAPONS SYSTEMS
Aircraft
F/A-22 “Raptor” Fighter
- Administration request: $3.74 billion for 20 aircraft
- Committee: $3.74 billion for 20 aircraft
Joint Strike Fighter
- Administration request: $2.5 billion for six Navy and six Air Force aircraft
- Committee: $2.5 billion for of six Navy and six Air Force aircraft and $480 million for the alternative engine program (not requested)
- NOTE: The request included an additional $230 million for one aircraft as part of the war supplemental. Neither the House nor the Committee recommended this funding.
F/A-18E/F “Super Hornet” Fighter
- Administration request: $2.11 billion for 24 aircraft
- Committee: $2.8 billion for 36 aircraft
- NOTE: $714 million for 12 aircraft transferred from Title XV
EA-18G Radar Jamming Aircraft
- Administration request: $1.3 billion for 18 aircraft
- Committee: $1.3 billion for 18 aircraft
V-22 “Osprey” Titl-rotor
- Administration request: $2.32 billion for 21 Navy and 5 Air Force aircraft
- Committee: $2.32 billion for 21 Navy and 5 Air Force aircraft
C-130J Transport Aircraft
- Administration request: $268.1 million for 4 Marine Corps KC-130J aircraft, and $799.7 million for 9 C-130J Air Force aircraft
- Committee: $268.1 million for 4 Marine Corps KC-130J aircraft, and $799.7 million for 9 C-130J Air Force aircraft
C-17 Globemaster Transport Aircraft
- Administration request: $280.6 million
- Committee: $280.6 million
- NOTE: The House included an additional $2.49 billion for 10 aircraft as part of its supplemental funding for military operations. No similar funds were included in the Senate version.
Ballistic Missile Defense
- Administration request: $10.1 billion
- Committee: $9.9 billion, $231 million below request
Shipbuilding
DDG-1000 “Zumwalt” Destroyer [DD(x)]
- Administration request: $2.8 billion
- Committee: $2.8 billion
Carrier Replacement Program (CVN-21)
- Administration request: $5.87 billion for one vessel
- Committee: $5.87 billion for one vessel
LPD-17 “San Antonio” Amphibious Assault Ship
- Administration request: $1.7 billion for one vessel
- Committee: $1.7 billion for one vessel
- NOTE: The House included $3.4 billion for two vessels.
LHA Replacement Vessel (LHA-R)
- Administration request: $1.38 billion
- Committee: $1.38 billion
SSN-774 “Virginia” Class Submarine
- Administration request: $2.65 billion for one vessel
- Committee: $2.65 billion for one vessel, plus $1.2 billion for advanced procurement of an additional submarine, $470 million above the request
Littoral Combat Ship (LCS)
- Administration request: $910.5 million for 3 ships
- Committee $480.0 million for one ship
- NOTE: The Committee recommends that funding in this bill be combined with earlier appropriations to fund fixed price contracts for two ships, one for each of the programs two contractors, in an effort to stabilize the program. The House recommended $710.5 million for 2 ships.
ARMY PROGRAMS
Stryker Interim Armored Vehicle (IAV)
- Administration request: $1.0 billion for 127 vehicles
- Committee: $2.1 billion for 390 vehicles (includes funding for 263 vehicles transferred from Title XV)
Future Combat System
- Administration request: $3.6 billion
- Committee: $3.6 billion
- NOTE: The House funds FCS at $857 million below request
UH-60 Blackhawk Helicopters
- Administration request: $773.8 million for 42 aircraft
- Committee $1.3 billion for 42 aircraft
NON-PROLIFERATION PROGRAMS
Dept. of Energy nonproliferation programs
- Administration request: $1.723 billion
- Committee: $1.81 billion ($87 million above request.)
DoD Cooperative Threat Reduction Program “Nunn-Lugar”
- Administration request: $348.0 million
- Committee: 448.0 million
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY NUCLEAR WEAPONS-RELATED ACTIVITIES
National Nuclear Security Administration
- Administration request: $4 billion
- Committee: $9.5 billion
INCLUDING Nuclear Weapons Activities
- Administration request: $6.51 billion
- Committee: $6.47 billion ($39 million below request)
Defense Environmental Clean-up
- Administration request: $5.36 billion
- Committee: $5.41 ($47 million above request)
KEY POLICY PROVISIONS
Space Posture Review – Directs the Secretary of Defense and Director of National Intelligence to conduct a comprehensive review of the space posture of the U.S. The review would cover a 10-year period beginning February 1, 2009 and the report would be due on December 1, 2009.
Nuclear Posture Review – Directs the Secretary of Defense and Secretary of Energy to conduct a review of the nuclear posture of the United States for the next 5 to 10 years. The new nuclear posture review (NPR) would be submitted to Congress in December 2009.
Policy Report on Iran – Prohibits the Secretary of Defense from obligating more than 75 percent of the funds available for FY2008 to the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy until the report on United States policy for Iran, mandated by the FY2007 Defense Authorization bill, is submitted to Congress.
Prohibition on F-14 Aircraft Fighter Parts – Prohibits the sale and issuance of export licenses for F-14 fighter parts, with an exception for museums and other organizations involved in restoration of aircraft for historical purposes. This provision was also included in the House’s version of the authorization bill.
Private Security Firms – Requires the Secretary of Defense to prescribe regulations on the selection, training, equipment, and conduct of personnel performing private security functions in an area of combat operations.
TITLE XV – ONGOING OPERATIONS IN IRAQ AND AFGHANISTAN
Section 1008 of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY2007 required the Defense Department to include in its annual budget request for future fiscal years detailed information on military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan previously funded through emergency supplemental appropriations. The Defense Department revised request for continued operations in Iraq and Afghanistan was $140.5 billion for FY2008. The Senate Armed Services Committee provided $127.5 billion, $13 billion less than the Administration’s request. This $13 billion was moved to the base budget.
HIGHLIGHTS
Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Fund – Authorizes $4.5 billion for the FY2008 war-related Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Fund.
Iraq and Afghanistan Security Forces Fund – Fully funds the Administration’s request for $4.7 billion for war-related spending on security forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, with $2 billion going to Iraq Security Forces and $2.7 billion going to Afghanistan Security Forces.
No Permanent Bases, Control of Oil Resources in Iraq – Prohibits funding being used to establish permanent bases or exercise control over oil resources in Iraq, extending the provision already in effect for FY2007.
Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles (MRAP) – Increases funding for MRAP vehicles by $4.1 billion: $2 billion in Marine Corps procurement, $1.5 billion in Army procurement, $430 million in Air Force procurement, $124 million in Special Operations Command procurement, and $21 million in Navy procurement. The Administration requested $441 million for MRAP in its February $141.8 billion war-related request. The Secretary of Defense must report back to Congress on MRAP procurement as part of ongoing HMMWV (“humvee”) reporting requirements due to “concern about how the demands of this new production program in addition to the current production of HMMWVs and other tactical and support armored vehicles, will impact the availability of raw materials such as suitable steel.”
FUNDING PROVISIONS
Total Funding
- Administration request: $140.5 billion
- Committee: $127.5 billion
- NOTE: The Committee transferred $13 billion from Title XV to the annual base budget.
Procurement
- Administration request: $36 billion
- Committee: $28.3 billion ($7.65 billion below the request)
Research, Development, Testing & Evaluation (RDT&E)
- Administration request: $2.9 billion
- Committee: $2 billion ($907 million below the request)
Operations & Maintenance (O&M)
- Administration request: $72.9 billion
- Committee: $72 billion ($852 million below the request)
Personnel
- Administration request: $17.1 billion
- Committee: $12.9 billion ($4.1 billion below the request)
Military Construction
- Administration request: $907.9 million
- Committee: $752.7 million
Other DoD Authorizations
- Administration request: $11.8 billion
- Committee: $12.3 billion
MAJOR WEAPONS SYSTEMS
V-22 “Osprey” Titl-rotor
- Administration request: $140.5 million for 2 Navy V-22 aircraft, and $492.5 million for five Air Force V-22 aircraft
- Committee: $140.5 million for 2 Navy aircraft
C-130J Transport Aircraft
- Administration request: $495.4 million for 7 Marine Corps KC-130J aircraft, and $1.4 billion for 17 Air Force C-130J aircraft
- Committee: $495.4 million for 7 Marine Corps KC-130J aircraft, and $888 million for 13 Air Force C-130J aircraft
C-17 Globemaster Transport Aircraft
- Administration request: $72 million
- Committee: $72 million
- NOTE: The House included $2.49 billion for 10 aircraft.
Stryker Interim Armored Vehicle (IAV)
- Administration request: $402.8 million for 100 vehicles
- Committee: $117.0 million for 29 vehicles to replace battlefield losses. The Committee also includes $2.1 billion for 390 vehicles in the base budget.
SOURCES
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 Committee Report 110-77 (PDF), released June 5, 2007.
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (S. 1585) Senate bill text, introduced June 5, 2007.
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (H.R. 1585) House bill text (PDF), passed by the House May 17, 2007.
Senate Armed Services Committee press release, “Senate Armed Services Committee Completes Markup of National Defense Authorization Bill for Fiscal Year 2008,” issued May 25, 2007.
