Air Force Requests $114.1 Billion in Fiscal 2014

The Air Force is asking Congress for $114.1 billion in Fiscal 2014 to fund its base activities, said Maj. Gen. Edward Bolton, the service’s budget deputy, on Wednesday. This includes: $46.6 billion for operations and maintenance; $29.2 billion for military personnel; $18.8 billion for procurement; $17.6 billion for research, development, test, and evaluation; and $1.9 billion for military construction, according to Bolton and service budget documents released on April 10. Among the highlights, this funding supports: 1.2 million flying hours; beddown of the KC-46A tanker and F-35 strike fighter; design and development of the Long Range Strike Bomber; procurement of two GPS III satellites; a 1 percent military pay raise; and end strengths of 327,600 for the Active Duty component, 105,400 for the Air National Guard, and 70,400 for the Air Force Reserve. The Air Force is preparing a separate budget request for its Fiscal 2014 overseas contingency operations that it will submit to Congress in the coming weeks, said Bolton. The base proposal does not factor the spending cuts that the Air Force would have to absorb if budget sequestration drags into Fiscal 2014, noted Bolton. Further, it does not undo the sequester’s Fiscal 2013 impact or fund “post-sequester full-spectrum readiness recovery,” according to one of Bolton’s presentation charts. Bolton said the budget request has “no major muscle movements”—meaning no major new program starts or other significant course changes. The Air Force’s budget request increases to $144.4 billion when factoring the funding for non-Air Force-specific joint activities, like intelligence, that runs through Air Force accounts. (Bolton transcript) (Bolton’s presentation slides; caution, large-sized file.) (Air Force comptroller’s webpage for access to Fiscal 2014 budget documents.)