Military budget of the United States
The military budget of the United States is the largest portion of the discretionary federal budget allocated to the Department of Defense, or more broadly, the portion of the budget that goes to any military-related expenditures. It pays the salaries, training, and health care of uniformed and civilian personnel, maintains arms, equipment and facilities, funds operations, and develops and buys new items. The budget funds six branches of the US military: the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Air Force, and Space Force. Critics contend that recent U.S. defense budgets have disproportionately invested in long-term developmental programs instead of producing weapons systems needed in the near term.
Budget for FY2026
As of May 2, 2025, the U.S. Department of Defense's fiscal year 2026 budget request was $892.6 billion, maintaining near-flat nominal growth compared to FY2025 levels.On 11 June 2025, the House Armed Services Committee advanced the FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act, proposing a total authorization of $925 billion, including $878.7 billion specifically for the Department of Defense. Debate in Congress focused on aligning resources to counter rising threats, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region, while balancing domestic fiscal pressures.
The overall budget requested by the US military department was $961.6 billion, which included $197.4 billion for the Department of the Army, $292.2 billion for the Department of the Navy, $301.1 billion for the Department of the Air Force and $170.9 billion for defence wide expenditure.
Furthermore, the budget was divided into the various military agencies —
Budget for FY2025
As of 11 March 2024 the US Department of Defense fiscal year 2025 budget request was $849.8billion. On 20 December 2024 the House approved a Continuing Resolution to fund DoD and DoE operations at the FY2024 levels until 14 March 2025, at which time the Appropriations process for the NDAA is to be revisited by the 119th Congress. On 21 December 2024 the Senate approved the Continuing Resolution for President Biden's signature into law.Budget for FY2024
As of 10 March 2023 the fiscal year 2024 presidential budget request was $842billion. In January 2023 Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen announced the US government would hit its $31.4trillion debt ceiling on 19 January 2023; the date on which the US government would no longer be able to use extraordinary measures such as issuance of Treasury securities is estimated to be in June 2023. On 3 June 2023, the debt ceiling was suspended until 2025. The $886billion National Defense Authorization Act is facing reconciliation of the House and Senate bills after passing both houses 27 July 2023; the conferees have to be chosen, next. As of September 2023, a Continuing resolution is needed to prevent a Government shutdown. A shutdown was avoided on 30 September for 45 days, with passage of the NDAA on 14 December 2023. The Senate will next undertake negotiations on supplemental spending for 2024. A government shutdown was averted on 23 March 2024 with the signing of a $1.2 trillion bill to cover FY2024.Budget for FY2023
, the defense department was operating under a continuing resolution, which constrains spending even though DoD has to respond to world events, such as the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine; the FY2023 defense budget request will exceed $773billion, according to the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. By 9 March 2022 a bipartisan agreement on a $782billion defense budget had been reached.As of 4 April 2022 the FY2023 presidential budget request of $773billion included $177.5billion for the Army, $194billion for the Air Force and Space Force, and $230.8billion for the Navy and Marine Corps. As of 12 December 2022 the House and Senate versions of the FY2023 National Defense Authorization Act were to be $839billion, and $847billion, for the HASC, and SASC respectively, for a compromise $857.9billion top line. By 16 December 2022 the current budget extension resolution will have expired. The President signed the FY2023 Appropriations bill on 23 December 2022.
US military spending in 2021 reached $801billion per year according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
Budget for FY2022
In May 2021, the President's defense budget request for FY2022 was $715billion, up $10billion from the $705billion FY2021 request. The total FY2022 defense budget request, including the Department of Energy, was $753billion, up $12billion from FY2021's request. On 22 July 2021 the Senate Armed Services Committee approved a budget $25billion greater than the President's request. The National Defense Authorization Act, budgeting $740billion for defense, was signed 27 December 2021.By military department, the Army's portion of the budget request, $173billion, dropped $3.6billion from the enacted FY2021 budget; the Department of the Navy's portion of the budget request, $211.7billion, rose 1.8% from the enacted FY2021 budget, largely due to a 6% increase for the Marine Corps' restructuring into a littoral combat force ; the Air Force's $156.3billion request for FY2022 is a 2.3% increase over FY2021 enacted budget; the Space Force budget of $17.4billion is a 13.1% increase over FY2021 enacted budget. Overseas contingency operations are now replaced by "direct war and enduring costs", which are now migrated into the budget. After the release of the FY2022 budget requests to Congress, the military departments also posted their Unfunded priorities/requirements lists for the Congressional Armed Services Committees.
Budget for FY2021
For FY2021, the Department of Defense's discretionary budget authority was approximately $705.39billion. Mandatory spending of $10.77billion, the Department of Energy and defense-related spending of $37.335billion added up to the total FY2021 Defense budget of $753.5billion. FY2021 was the last year for OCOs as shown by the troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation investments for the future are offset by the OCO cuts, and by reduced procurement of legacy materiel.Budget summary for FY2021 with projections for FY2022–2025
Budget for FY2020
For fiscal year 2020, the Department of Defense's budget authority was approximately $721.5billion. Approximately $712.6billion is discretionary spending with approximately $8.9billion in mandatory spending. The Department of Defense estimates that $689.6billion will actually be spent. Both central right-wing and right-wing commentators have advocated for the cutting of military spending.Budget for FY2019
For FY2019, the Department of Defense's budget authority was $693,058,000,000.Budget request for FY2019
In February 2018, the Pentagon requested $686billion for FY2019.The John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act authorized Department of Defense appropriations for 2019 and established policies, but it did not contain the budget itself. On 26 July, this bill passed in the House of Representatives by 359–54. On 1 August, the US Senate passed it by 87–10. The bill was presented to President Trump two days later. He signed it on 13 August.
On 28 September 2018, Trump signed the Department of Defense appropriations bill. The approved 2019 Department of Defense discretionary budget was $686.1billion. It has also been described as "$617billion for the base budget and another $69billion for war funding."
Total overview
For personnel payment and benefits
Personnel payment and benefits take up approximately 39.14% of the total budget of $686,074,048,000.| Pay and benefits funding | FY2019 |
| Military personnel appropriations | $140.7 |
| Medicare-eligible retiree health care accruals | $7.5 |
| Defense health program | $34.2 |
| DoD Education Activity | $3.4 |
| Family housing | $1.6 |
| Commissary subsidy | $1.3 |
| Other benefit programs | $3.4 |
| Military pay and benefits | $192.0 |
| Civilian pay and benefits | $76.4 |
| Total pay and benefits | $268.5 |
By overseas contingency operation
Overseas contingency operations funds are sometimes called war funds.| Operation/activity | FY2019 |
| Operation Freedom's Sentinel and related missions | $46.3 |
| Operation Inherent Resolve and related missions | $15.3 |
| European Deterrence Initiative | $6.5 |
| Security cooperation | $0.9 |
| Grand total | $69.0 |
By military department
Military health care funding
The MHS offers, but does not always provide, a health care benefit to 9.5 million eligible beneficiaries, which includes active military members and their families, military retirees and their families, dependent survivors, and certain eligible reserve component members and their families. The unified medical budget, which comprises the funding and personnel needed to support the MHS' mission, consumes nearly 9% of the department's topline budget authority. Thus, it is a significant line item in the department's financial portfolio.Budgeting terms
Budget authority: the authority to legally incur binding obligations, that will result in current and future outlays. When "military budget" is mentioned, people generally are referring to discretionary budget authority.Outlays: Also known as expenditures or disbursements, it is the liquidation of obligations and general represent cash payments.
Total obligational authority: DoD financial term expressing the value of the direct defense program for a given fiscal year, exclusive of the obligation authority from other sources
Discretionary: Annually appropriated by Congress, subject to budget caps.
Mandatory: budget authority authorized by permanent law.