Two-year DOD spending for electronics and communications set to drop by nearly one-fourth

WASHINGTON, 13 Feb. 2012. Leaders of the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) propose spending $13.59 billion in federal fiscal year 2013 for procurement and research in military communications, electronics, telecommunications, and intelligence (CET&I) technologies. This level would represent a cut of 10.26 percent from current-year enacted levels of $15.14 billion, and a cut of 23.43 percent from 2011 levels of $17.75 billion, according to Pentagon budget documents released today.

This amount in the requested 2013 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 $92.09 billion, industry analysts believe. This figure is down 8.5 percent from 2012 theoretical total DOD electronics spending of $100.6 billion, and down 13.29 percent from the 2011 theoretical total DOD electronics spending of 106.2 billion.

Experts estimate that total DOD electronics, information technology, 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 includes $9.51 billion in CET&I procurement -- down 7.7 percent from current-year levels of $10.3 billion, and down 23.64 percent from 2011 levels of $12.46 billion. CET&I budget totals also include $4.08 billion in CET&E research and development, which is down 15.65 percent from current-year levels of $4.83 billion and down 22.92 percent from 2011 levels of $5.29 billion.

The U.S. Army in 2013 is asking for $4.83 billion in CET&I procurement -- down 10.41 percent from current-year levels of $5.39 billion, and down 34.89 percent from 2011 levels of $7.41 billion.

The U.S. Navy in 2013 is asking for $2.17 billion in CET&I procurement -- up 12.73 percent from current-year levels of $1.92 billion, and up 21.37 percent from 2011 levels of $1.79 billion. The U.S. Marine Corps in 2013 is asking for $883.14 million in CET&I procurement, down 20.88 percent from current-year levels of $1.12 billion, and down 24.64 percent from 2011 levels of $1.17 billion.

The U.S. Air Force in 2013 is asking for $1.53 billion in CET&I procurement -- down 10.59 percent from current-year levels of $1.71 billion, and down 23.63 percent from 2011 levels of $2.01 billion.

Service-independent Pentagon agencies are asking for $99.99 million in CET&I procurement on 2013 -- down 40.06 percent from current-year levels of $166.81 million, and up 29.43 percent from 2011 levels of $77.26 million.

In total for 2013, which begins next Oct. 1, DOD leaders are asking Congress for $613.9 billion -- $525.4 billion in discretionary spending, and $88.5 billion for the continuing war in Afghanistan. This figure is down 8.5 percent from the 2012 request of $670.9 billion.

The Pentagon for next year is asking for $98.8 billion for procurement -- down 5.5 percent from current-year levels of $104.5 billion; $69.4 billion for research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) -- down 2.8 percent from current-year levels of $71.4 billion; and $208.8 billion for operations and maintenance -- up 5.89 percent from current-year levels of $197.2 billion.