The final fiscal 2017 defense appropriations bill includes several billion dollars for Army force structure increases and boosts to aircraft and other procurement over the budget request submitted by the previous administration.
The bill, released March 2, authorizes a boost to Army end strength of 16,000 soldiers from 460,000 to 476,000, which would put the service 1,000 troops above its funded size in fiscal 2016. The Army Reserve would increase in size from 195,000 to 199,000, which also would put it 1,000 soldiers above fiscal 2016. The Army National Guard also would increase its troop strength by 8,000 troops to 105,700.
The Marine Corps likewise is given another 3,000 Marines, which would increase its size to 185,000, or 1,000 more personnel than it was authorized in fiscal 2016.
In total, the Army stands to receive $4.5 billion for aircraft procurement, production and modernization. Another $1.5 billion would go to missile procurement and $1.4 billion would pay for other ammunition. Tracked combat vehicle programs would receive $2.2 billion. The Army’s research, development, test and evaluation account would be $8 billion. Total operations and maintenance accounts are pegged at $32 billion, not counting a hefty sum that has shifted from the base budget to overseas contingency operations (OCO), or war funding.
The Trump administration released the supplemental bill on Thursday and it has not yet been vetted by the congressional defense and appropriations committees. An Army spokesman said because the bill is pre-decisional, it could not disclose its plans for the additional funding.
“From an OSD perspective, we are working with OMB to finalize the FY 2017 budget amendment numbers,” Pentagon spokesman Col. Eric Badger told Defense Daily in a statement. “We are not at liberty to confirm any specific numbers at this time. As the budget amendment is pre-decisional, the department is not identifying any specific programs that may or may not be included in the submission.”
The Trump administration’s 350-page guidance document released along with the budget amendment bill, does include specific programs targeted for funding bumps.
They include an extra $1.1 billion to buy 61 UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, $774 million for 52 remanufactured AH-64 Apache helicopters, $190 million for five new Apaches and $72 million to support advanced procurement of an additional 10 aircraft. Lockheed Martin [LMT] makes the Black Hawk and Boeing [BA] the Apache.
Another $187 million is provided for 28 Lakota light utility helicopters “for the Army in support of ongoing mission requirements at the Army Aviation Center of Excellence at Fort Rucker, the Combat Training Centers, and the Army Test and Evaluation Center,” the guidance document states. The Airbus-built Lakota is used to train helicopter pilots and as a utility aircraft by the National Guard. Buying more of the aircraft was included in the Army’s unfunded wish list for fiscal 2017.
AIrbus Group Photo by James Darcy
“The agreement notes that this investment is consistent with previous appropriations and was included in the Army’s unfunded priority list,” the amendment guidance document says. “The Secretary of the Army is encouraged to request funding for UH-72 Lakota Light Utility Helicopters to address ongoing mission requirements in future budget submissions.”
Slashed in recent budgets, funding for the Army’s battlefield communications network, the warfighter information network-tactical, or WIN-T, gets a funding boost of $114 million. That amount would equip two brigades with WIN-T equipment. General Dynamics [GD] provides the WIN-T network.
The final bill also provides a huge boost in funding to buy 12 more MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicles. The bill provides $195 million for that purpose, which increases the program’s budget for the fiscal year from $57 million to $250 million. The Army has been phasing out its MQ-1 fleet in favor of the larger and more capable MQ-9 Reaper drone. General Atomics builds the Predator and Reaper UAVs.
The final bill also moves money around between acquisition accounts, providing modest increases or modestly cutting certain programs’ funding.
Funding for aircraft survivability equipment, specifically modernized radar warning systems, increases $22 million in the final bill. It adds $31 million to purchase Javelin anti-tank missiles, which are built by a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Raytheon [RTN].
Industrial support for the GD-built M1 Abrams tank receives $16 million while modernization programs for the tank increase $172 million through OCO funding.
The Army requested to move $2 million slated for modifications to the M4 carbine toward purchase of the new Sig 320 Modular Handgun System (MHS).
The bill strips $26 million from GD-built Stryker upgrade because of “unjustified growth” but adds $8 million for 30mm programmable airburst munition research. Upgrades to the BAE Systems-built Bradley Fighting Vehicle are funded through OCO with an extra $72.8 million.
Humvee procurement increases by $50 million while the National Guard’s Humvee modernization program nets $160 million. AM General makes the Humvee.
Within the Pentagon’s research and development budget, several Army programs would receive a funding boost under the final bill. The Army-led Future Vertical Lift program to find a leap-ahead next-generation helicopter would receive an extra $11 million. Efforts to develop a high-energy laser get another $8 million. The bill adds $23 million for enhanced lightweight body armor and $15 million for the Army’s integrated air and missile defense system.