The Fiscal 2011 Budget Process Begins
On Feb. 1, the President sent his fiscal 2011 budget request to Congress. Here are some of the highlights:
Defense Budget Request
AIA has been very aggressive in advocating for a real increase in the defense budget and in the critical procurement account. The fiscal 2011 budget request for the Defense Department is a reasonable target that takes into account the very real demands that two ongoing wars make on our troops and the equipment that supports them. Even in today’s budget-reduction climate, it is extremely important that our nation stands firm behind those obligations. We are very pleased that the President and his defense advisors agree and have requested in a time of fiscal challenge a budget increase. If this budget is appropriated, the Pentagon will get a total of $708 billion for fiscal 2011. That includes a war supplemental of $159 billion. The requested base budget amount of $549 billion for fiscal 2011 is an increase of 3.4 percent over the fiscal 2010 enacted level. The request places the budget in excess of the four percent baseline of GDP that we have established as the minimum to maintain our national security.
Over the long term, we need to be especially mindful about maintaining and modernizing the equipment that gives our men and women in uniform the technological dominance they require on the battlefield of tomorrow as well as today. Recognizing that fact, the President's budget requests $112.9 billion for procurement of equipment, including aerospace weapons. That is an increase of 7.7 percent over the procurement funds appropriated for fiscal 2010.
Both the budget request and the Quadrennial Defense Review continue efforts to reform how DOD buys goods and services, with an emphasis on creating stability in requirements and cost. We’re looking forward to working with the Department to create a more effective and efficient delivery of logistical support to our troops. This will continue our joint efforts for positive reform.
AIA Source: fred.downey[at]aia-aerospace.org
FAA Budget Request
The FAA budget included an impressive 30 percent increase in NextGen funding over 2010 levels. The $1.14 billion for NextGen programs is enough to keep FAA on its current 2025 implementation schedule, but it is not enough to accomplish the Administration’s goal of accelerating the program. A critical step in accelerating implementation is equipping aircraft to take full advantage of the benefits of the NextGen system. Under the current FAA schedule, if additional funding is not made available to encourage the equipage of aircraft, the federal government will have completed and spent almost $2 billion by 2013 on the ground infrastructure for the ADS-B program, but neither the traveling public nor air carriers will realize the benefits of this investment before 2020.
AIA Source: brian.elson[at]aia-aerospace.org
Space Budget Request
The NASA budget saw an increase of 1.5 percent rising to $19 billion with increases to Science, Aeronautics and Exploration. The Space Operations budget, which includes the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station, declined, reflecting the upcoming retirement of the Space Shuttle. The budget request for NASA increases to a total of $100 billion between 2011 and 2015.
NASA has made a major shift in strategy and goals, with the Administration canceling the Constellation program designed to return Americans to the moon, including the Orion spacecraft and Ares 1 rocket under development. Funding will be focused on a variety of R&D and technology development projects and modernizing the Kennedy Space Center. NASA also followed an option put forth by last year’s Review of U.S. Human Spaceflight Plans that recommends helping to foster development of commercial launch and spacecraft systems. Such systems can provide crew and cargo transportation to the International Space Station, which the United States has committed to extending until at least 2020.
NOAA’s budget saw a 12 percent increase to $5.5 billion with an increase of more than $800 million towards the National Environmental Satellite, Data, & Information Service; procurement for satellite systems, including the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System; and Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites programs.
The Air Force announced a more than $200 million increase in funding for space situational awareness. The increase is strongly supported by AIA as it seeks to augment efforts to track objects in space. As the space environment becomes increasingly crowded, it is necessary for the U.S. to improve its ability to monitor events in space and reduce the vulnerability of space systems and supporting infrastructure.
In addition, the Missile Defense Agency received a $600 million boost over its fiscal 2010 request as the Administration seeks to develop new architecture for ballistic missile defense.
AIA Source: andrew.barber[at]aia-aerospace.org
