10 February 2020

Pentagon budget 2021: Pentagon requests slight decrease in aircraft funding

by Pat Host

The Pentagon would see a slight decrease in aircraft and related system spending in fiscal year 2021 (FY 2021) compared with the previous year as it requested USD56.9 billion, according to budget documents released on 10 February.

Although the USD56.9 billion requested would be a decrease from the USD57.7 provided in FY 2020, it is still the second-most the Pentagon has requested for aircraft and related services since FY 2010.

The US Air Force’s USD2.84 billion budget request for the B-21 for FY 2021 would be a slight decrease from FY 2020. Pictured is an artist’s illustration. (Northrop Grumman)

Spending on the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) would be down 9.4% in FY 2021. As the Pentagon requested USD11.4 billion across all three services, this would be down USD1.2 billion from USD12.6 billion enacted in FY 2020.

The US Air Force (USAF) is requesting USD5.2 billion, enough to buy 48 conventional variant aircraft. The US Navy (USN) is requesting USD3.9 billion, enough for 10 F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) variants and 21 F-35C carrier variants for both the USN and US Marine Corps (USMC). Interestingly, F-35 research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) spending would be up as the Pentagon requested USD1.7 billion, more than the USD1.5 billion provided in FY 2020.

Another major RDT&E effort for the F-35, capability development and delivery, is up at USD793 million requested. The service was provided USD654 million for this in the last fiscal year.

Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider long-range strike bomber (LRSB) spending would be down slightly. The service requested USD2.84 billion for the platform, one of the USAF’s top priorities. The USAF was provided USD2.98 billion for B-21 in FY 2020.

The Pentagon would see a slight decrease in aircraft and related system spending in fiscal year 2021...

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