President Joe Biden's 2023 Pentagon budget proposal includes $813 billion in defense spending, a 4% increase from the $31 billion budget signed earlier this month.
Biden leaders on defense spending continue to focus on China's key role, emphasizing bolstering European security in light of the threat posed by Russia's invasion of Ukraine .
"Based on its capabilities and overall economy, China remains our toughest threat," the defense chief told reporters ahead of the investment announcement. . "The idea is what the budget says."
Biden leaders' demands include $773 billion in funding, specifically for the Department of Defense next year. Congress, which will eventually set the federal budget, appears to be pushing the number even further, as it wants in the 2022 budget.
Republicans reacted quickly to the Pentagon budget, arguing that US troops were not enough to counter Russia's offensive against Ukraine and China's military capital. However, the LDP criticized Biden's leadership for not increasing its defense budget at all.
The 2023 budget was set before Russia entered Ukraine last month, but Biden's defense chiefs have acknowledged the "immediate threat" posed by Russia, according to Pentagon documents. The Pentagon said Russia was "seeking a political, financial and military strategy to split NATO." The defense budget includes $6.9 billion in funding for the European Deterrence Initiative to counter Russian terrorism and support Ukraine.
In fiscal year 2022, approved last month, Congress announced $13.6 billion in additional funding to provide security services to Ukraine and repatriate the country.
It is unclear whether the United States will provide more security assistance to kyiv because it cannot predict how long the war between Russia and Ukraine will last. The United States has added thousands of troops to Eastern Europe on temporary deployments to bolster NATO's east.
"It's a difficult question whether this situation will continue in the short or long term," he said. "I can definitely say that there is a possibility that there will be a renewal for Ukraine."
Additional security bills for Ukraine also require a court order. Pentagon Comptroller Michael McCord told reporters on Monday that a return to Ukraine would come later this year.
+ Military modernization
The total troop level of the US Army is expected to drop to 3,000 men. The US Navy is requesting the recovery of 24 ships, including nine battleships and five submarines. Coastal clashes in the battle are constantly hampered, including recurrences and questions about arms embargoes. Because the ship was designed to operate in shallow waters such as the South China Sea, it has been well received as part of the US deterrent against China. But downgrading a lot in a year seems to confirm that the pricey surface fighters haven't lived up to expectations.
And in the air, the Pentagon plans to buy 61 F-35 jets of the 85 purchased last year. The military is still looking to retire the A-10 fighters and F-22 fighters.
All of these plans appear to be facing opposition from Congress, which has backed cuts that could damage areas or provide weapons like bases and ports, which can be reduced if the plane and boat are withdrawn. A Pentagon staffer said the increase was not intended to increase the size of the US military, but to help it compete with Russia and China.
Although not likely to affect Russia or China, many departmental solutions services deal with both countries, officials said. This includes investments such as space, cyber and industrial infrastructure.
"Growing the top lines isn't about building momentum," one official said. "It's about developing our troops to compete with our closest enemy."
However, the proposed funding includes $6.1 billion in funding for Pacific deterrence, including strengthening Guam's defense and new missile warning and tracking models. The Pentagon said "investment" ahead of China is a challenge to accelerate capability development and strategic planning in the Indo-Pacific region while accelerating, the Pentagon said.
The increase makes it more competitive for Pentagon investment, even though the request was made before Russia's intervention in Ukraine drove up oil prices.
A manager said: "I did my best to chalk one line a day and finish with what I knew in time." "Rising prices in line with Russia's strength pushing Ukraine to higher oil prices is a new development that needs to be addressed in the future."
+ Maximum investment for research and purchases
The budget focuses on modern military operations with the largest investments in procurement, research and development valued at $276 billion.
The Ministry of Defense has focused on the development of "integrated defence" calling for the development of armies in all areas of warfare: air, land, sea, cyber and space. The budget provides $56.6 billion to buy F-35 and F-15EX troops, and to build B-21 rockets and drones. At sea, the investment concerns 40.8 billion dollars to build a fleet of eight ships, including nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines. The budget proposal also includes $12.6 billion to upgrade army and corps combat equipment.
Beyond fighting, the proposed funding includes $479 million to use one of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's top priorities when he takes office, according to the Pentagon's Independent Review Panel, Good for sexual harassment.
The fund also provides a 4.6% wage increase for military and civilian service, whose administration announced the largest payroll in 20 years.
And it extends the department's commitment to fighting climate change, including a request for $3.1 billion in investments to "lay the foundation for future capability."
The proposed funding also includes a $1,000,000 exchange grant to oversee oil spill response at the Hawaii Red Hill bulk fuel storage facility. Austin announced in early March that it had decided to close the facility after oil spills contaminated its waterways. About a million people live in water reservoirs.
The manager explained that the revenue was "greater than the down payment", acknowledging that it was difficult to estimate exactly how the money should be spent on operations, especially in terms of legal action.