The Pentagon's request for the 2020 budget (Fiscal Year 2020) includes $ 545 billion in basic defense spending, $ 164 billion for overseas contingents and $ 9 billion in "emergency funding", such as Trump's request to finance a wall on the southern border. Su Defense News also reports that in the next Defense budget the president wanted to increase the funds for research and development and substantially reduce the funding for the European Deterrence Initiative.
The overall national security budget should be around 750 billion dollars, of which 718 billion dollars for the Department of Defense. The actual budget figures are expected to be released on March 11, and the more specific numbers for the Department of Defense will be given on March 12, while the numbers for the Future Years Defense Program and detailed breakdowns of individual programs are not expected to be available before 18. March.
Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan has repeatedly referred to the 2020 budget as a "masterpiece" document that was shaped by conclusions drawn from a number of long-term strategies including the National Defense Strategy, the review of the nuclear and defense strategy. missile.
A source also confirmed to Defense News the accuracy of the Bloomberg report data according to which funding for research and development in the FY20 budget will be equal to 104 billion, an increase of about 9 billion compared to current levels. This increase will be largely destined to accelerate the development of hypersonic weapons, artificial intelligence programs and space technologies.
European Deterrence Initiative (EDI)
President Trump's request records a “moderately lower” drop in the European deterrence initiative from previous levels of about $ 6,3 billion. EDI is a fund established in the wake of the Russian annexation of Ukrainian territory in 2014 to increase America's presence in the region; most of the funding goes to army programs.
EDI had grown in the first two years of the Trump administration, now it will have a degrowth. The news will not be particularly welcome to the European nations that have looked to EDI as proof of American fidelity to military, "historical" relations with Europe.
The news of reviewing EDI funding is backed up by a March 8 report that the White House is seriously considering requiring any nation hosting US troops to cover all costs.
Last week, General Curtis Scaparrotti, head of the European Command of the United States and Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in Europe, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that it will take more armored units and destroyers, missiles and amphibious groups, to keep up with the ever-growing Russian forces.