Brian Bradley
NS&D Monitor
12/12/2014
The Senate is expected to vote as early as today on a Fiscal Year 2015 omnibus spending bill unveiled on Dec. 9 which would allocate $853.3 million for research, development, testing and evaluation for the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine replacement program. The appropriations bill, approved by the House Dec. 11, would provide $4 million above the amount requested by the President and authorized by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015, accounting for development of the ship’s propulsion component. The NDAA for FY 2015 includes a National Sea-Based Deterrence Fund, which authorizes the Pentagon to spend up to $3.5 billion in unobligated balances from FY 2014, 2015 and 2016, toward the Ohio-class replacement. The newly created account would set aside money for the design, procurement, alteration and conversion of ballistic missile submarines.
Trident Prioritized
The appropriations bill provides more money for Trident 2s than all other strategic forces, allocating $1.18 billion toward missile modification and missile industrial facilities, compared to President Barack Obama’s $1.2 billion request. Funding for Trident 2’s occupies more than 38 percent of the total amount indicated for Navy weapons. The spending bill would also approve the President’s $30.1 million request for RDT&E on the SSBN security technology program, while it provides $2.4 million less than the White House’s $96.9 million request for RDT&E funds for strategic submarine and weapons system support.
For RDT&E, Long-Range Strike Receives Heavy Attention
The bill meets the Administration’s $913.7 million request for RDT&E on long-range strike, but provides $1.5 million less than the President’s $4.9 million RDT&E request for the planned long-range standoff weapon. The Pentagon has announced it is reviewing the future of the weapon.
The legislation matches White House requests of $59.8 million for RDT&E on intercontinental ballistic missile fuze modernization, $139.1 million for development of Minuteman 3 operational systems and $30.9 million for development of advanced Minuteman 3 components. For RDT&E on strategic aircraft, the omnibus provides the Administration-requested $98.8 million for the B-2 defensive management system, but provides $6 million less than the $55.5 million requested for B-52 squadrons, and $15 million less than the $131.6 million requested for B-2 squadrons, deferring that $21 million until FY 16. The bill would fund RDT&E for B-1 squadrons at $1 million less than the $5.4 million budget request.
While the bill approves the President’s $140 million request for Air Force strategic command and control, it gives $3.5 million less than the $35.6 million request for RDT&E for U.S. Strategic Command’s Strategic War Planning System. The difference reflects a contract award delay and an “unjustified cost increase” in the data integration element of the system, according to the bill. The bill would also provide the Air Force $168.4 million for RDT&E on nuclear modernization, $30 million less than the Administration’s request. The difference was created by a $5 million favorable variance of B61-12 tailkit costs and $25 million in deferred funding.
B-52s Get Most Modification Funding
The bill provided $20 million less than the Administration request for strategic aircraft modifications, approving $175.4 million for B-52s, $128 million for B-1s and $21.9 million for B-2s. The lower appropriated amount reflects, in part, a change in acquisition strategy for B-1 depot support, a realignment of $10 million in B-52 funds to support cost growth of the aircraft’s CONECT computer infrastructure and an increase in the cost of the replacement of the B-52s anti-skid mechanism. The omnibus matches the President’s $50 million request for post-production support of the B-2 and B-52. The spending bill also approves Administration requests of $28.5 million for Minuteman 3 modifications and $16.1 million for mods to air-launched cruise missiles. The spending bill would also provide a $21.6 million budget addendum for the Air Force’s Force Improvement Program.
