The lower house of Congress approved the US defense budget for 2023 in the amount of $858 billion The committees of both chambers of the US Congress on Armed Forces Affairs have agreed on a draft defense budget for fiscal year 2023 (started on October 1 of this year) in the amount of $858 billion.
At a meeting on Thursday, the House of Representatives of the US Congress has already approved this project. Its priorities are the deployment of serial production of the B-21 Raider strategic bomber and nuclear submarines with Columbia ballistic missiles. "Newspaper.Ru" understood the details of this document.
The amount of $858 billion includes: $317.3 billion for operation and maintenance (including working capital); $174.5 billion for the maintenance of personnel; $161.3 billion for the purchase of weapons, military and special equipment; $138.6 billion for research and development; $30.5 billion for activities in the field of nuclear energy; $16.5 billion for military construction and family housing.
The agreed draft military budget provides for the allocation of $6 billion to contain Russia in Europe, an additional $800 million to help Ukraine, a five-year extension of the ban on US cooperation with Russia in the military sphere, as well as an order to seek Russia's exclusion from international organizations, including the G20.
In the draft defense budget for fiscal year 2023, it is most likely important to pay attention not so much to the allocation of any specific amounts for the implementation of certain issues of the construction and development of the armed forces of the United States, but rather to the accents, that is, what exactly the US Congress is supposed to allocate funds for.
Strategic nuclear forces
The 2023 U.S. Defense Budget supports increased oversight of risk management and prioritization activities in the nuclear weapons portfolio, requiring the U.S. Secretary of Defense to implement a nuclear forces portfolio management structure and defining the role of the Nuclear Weapons Council in coordinating risk management efforts between the Department of Defense and the National Nuclear Security Administration, NNSA).
In 2023, funding for research and development of a sea-based cruise missile capable of carrying nuclear weapons will continue. At the same time, the availability of certain funds will be limited until information regarding the proposed budget for a sea-based cruise missile is submitted to the US Congress.
In fiscal year 2023, it is prohibited to reduce the number or level of combat readiness of deployed intercontinental ballistic missiles.
In the near future, it is planned to change the assessment of the cyber stability of the US nuclear control and communications system in order to ensure more effective supervision over it.
The 2023 budget assumes various reports and briefings on many topics, including: the effectiveness of the Nuclear Command, Control and Communications Center; nuclear and non-nuclear options for defeating protected and buried targets; requirements for long-term nuclear deterrence; enhanced protection against electromagnetic pulses; Russian and Chinese Theater of Operations and the capabilities of low-power nuclear weapons.
In fiscal year 2023, the US National Nuclear Safety Administration (NNSA) is prohibited from converting or decommissioning low-power nuclear munitions of the W76-2 type.
Missile defense
The US Secretary of Defense is instructed, in coordination with the Secretary of State and the Director of National Intelligence, to seek cooperation with allies and partners in the area of responsibility of the US Central Command to improve joint integrated air and missile defense capabilities to counter missile threats from Iran.
The next year's budget provides for strengthening the requirements of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of fiscal year 2017 on the appointment of a procurement organization responsible for developing the architecture of the defense of the US territory from cruise missile threats.
The US Secretary of Defense has been instructed to conclude a contract with a research center funded from the federal budget to conduct an independent analysis of the proposed integrated architecture of the air and missile defense of Guam and to reduce the risk associated with the current architecture, and the US Missile Defense Agency is authorized to purchase three vertical launch systems for the island capable of launching SM-type missiles (Standard Missile).
The US Secretary of Defense should provide an update on the analysis conducted on the integrated architecture of air and missile defense in the area of responsibility of the US Indo-Pacific Command.
The US Secretary of the Army should reassess the current needs for Patriot anti-aircraft missile batteries in light of the ongoing armed conflict in Ukraine. The defense budget of 2023 authorized the purchase of up to four additional Patriot anti-aircraft missile batteries.
It is required that the Minister of Defense, in cooperation with the Secretary of State and the Director of National Intelligence, submit a plan to expand the joint missile attack warning system to other countries.
Additional funding should be allocated for the purchase of THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) type anti-missile systems and the development of directed energy capabilities for different types of lasers is envisaged.
It is planned to continue the participation of the US Navy in the NATO naval exercises "Grozny Shield-23" to practice the combat use of integrated air and missile defense systems.
Various reports and briefings are also required, including: integration of artificial intelligence technologies into hypersonic missile defense programs; solving the problem of obsolescence of the Patriot anti-aircraft missile system; updated assessment of the ability to withstand missile threats to the US territory; the state of ground-based anti-missiles; nuclear and missile programs of Iran and North Korea.
Naval forces
The defense budget of 2023 is supposed to invest in the construction and purchase of 13 new warships, which is five units more than budgeted for by the US president, including: two Virginia-type submarines; three guided missile destroyers (DDG); two guided missile frigates (FFG); one amphibious transport-Landing Platform Dock Flight II; two oil tankers of a new class (T-AO); two expeditionary medical ships (EMS) and one tug and rescue vessel (T-ATS).
With the budget of 2023, it is planned to fully finance the program for the creation of nuclear submarines with Columbia-class ballistic missiles.
The budget guarantees that the US Navy has the authority to build ships in the most cost-effective way, thereby authorizing a multi-year contract for the supply of 15 guided missile destroyers (DDG) to the Navy and a contract for the purchase of up to 25 amphibious boats of the Ship-to-Shore Connector project.
The document instructs the Secretary of the Navy to hold a briefing on the status of cooperation between the US Navy and cooperation partners in the development of new generation electronic jamming equipment.
The US Secretary of Defense has been instructed to train officers of the Australian submarine forces in US educational institutions on nuclear power plants, followed by training of Australian sailors on submarines of the US Navy with access to combat service at sea.
Air Force
The defense budget of 2023 fully finances the program for the deployment of serial production of a promising strategic bomber with low radar visibility B-21A Raider. The purchase of two Bell V-22 Osprey tiltrotor planes worth $212 million, two E-2D aircraft worth $399.9 million, five KC-130J aircraft (two for the Marine Corps and three for the US Navy) worth $699.1 million is allowed. The 2023 budget supports the statutory minimum of 466 USAF tanker aircraft.
It is also planned to purchase 24 F-15 Eagle II aircraft and 61 F-35A, B and C Joint Strike Fighter aircraft for the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps.
Additional funding is allocated for research and development in the field of Future Vertical Lift .
The Next Generation Air Dominance development program is supported.
The document instructs the Minister of the Air Force, together with the Minister of the Navy and the Minister of the Army, to submit a report on the necessary deadlines for creating an operational and up-to-date unmanned autonomous system that will be combined with current and future manned systems and complement their combat capabilities.
The defense budget of 2023 plans briefings by the Minister of Defense on autonomous and small unmanned dual-use aviation systems, on the development and deployment of small unmanned aircraft systems, on assessing the ability of 5th-generation F-35 fighters to intercept ballistic missiles at the initial stage of acceleration.
Next year's budget partially prohibits the proposed reduction in the intensity of operation of Boeing E-3 Sentry aircraft until a report is received on the capabilities and requirements for the acquisition strategy of promising long-range radar detection and control aircraft of the E-7A Wedgetail type. At the same time, the US Air Force is prohibited from decommissioning more than 13 aircraft from the E-3 AWACS fleet.
The Minister of the Air Force is required to maintain a minimum number of 5th generation F-22 aircraft (186 units) with the possibility of their use in missions to gain air superiority.
It is planned to further finance the development of an improved combat operations management system of the US Air Force, Advanced Battle Management System .
Ground forces
It is proposed to finance an increase in the safety of a multi-purpose wheeled vehicle of high mobility for the Ground Forces (HMMWV - High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle, highly mobile multi-purpose wheeled vehicle"), further modernization of Stryker (family of wheeled armored combat vehicles), M1 Abrams main battle tanks, allocate funds for armored multi-purpose vehicles (AMPV Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle), Paladin Integrated Management (purchase of new M109A7 Paladin howitzers for the army takes place under the PIM program), light tactical vehicles, medium tactical vehicles (FMTV, Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles, a series of military vehicles that are based on a common chassis and differ in payload and mission requirements), families of heavy tactical vehicles (FHTV), the Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle Program.
It is planned to purchase 28 armored vehicles Mobile Protected Firepower (MPF, in fact, is a light tank).
It is planned to further implement the extended range Cannon artillery program (ERCA, Extended Range Cannon Artillery).
Funding is provided for research into the capabilities of 10-50 kW lasers as a DE M-SHORAD (Directed Energy Maneuver Short Range Air Defense) short-range mobile air defense system.
Ammunition
The budget of 2023 assumes the purchase of 115 NSM (Naval Strike Missiles) missiles for the Marine Corps, 120 high-precision Army Precision Strike Missiles, 713 Army Joint Air-to-Ground Missiles, 582 Javelin anti-tank guided missiles, 893 TOW anti-tank missiles, 4,674 GMLRS guided missiles for the Ground Forces for MLRS type M142 and M270.
It is planned to allocate additional funding for Small Diameter Bombs II (SDB II)/GBU-53/B), Switchblade 600 barrage ammunition and another $75 million for the purchase of Switchblade 600 intended for Ukraine.
Funds are provided for the production of small and medium caliber cartridges.
Result
In 2021, the US defense budget amounted to $740.5 billion (about 3.5% of the country's GDP), in 2020 - $ 740 billion, in 2019 - $ 738 billion. In the budget of 2023, of course, attention should be paid to the allocation of funds for the development of a sea-based cruise missile capable of carrying nuclear weapons; financing of the program for the creation of nuclear submarines with Columbia-class ballistic missiles; deployment (continuation) of serial production of a promising strategic bomber with low radar visibility B-21A Raider and fighters of the 5th generation F-35A, B and C.
Special attention should be paid to the further implementation of such programs as Next Generation Air Dominance and Future Vertical Lift .
As always, significant funds are allocated for the development of intelligence, surveillance, and combat operations management systems, among which, of course, the Advanced Battle Management System should be noted.
All of the above, according to US experts, should provide the armed forces of the United States with undeniable advantages over the enemy when conducting combat operations in all possible spheres (domains).
Mikhail Khodarenok
