EMERGING TECHNOLOGY HORIZONS: Defense Budget Request Shortchanges Emerging Tech
4/24/2024
By Jacob Winn
The Defense Department released its share of the fiscal year 2025 president’s budget request March 11. But what does it mean for emerging technologies?
Overall, the department’s request for science and technology is $17.2 billion, which is about 3.5 percent lower than the $17.82 billion request for fiscal year 2024. However, the 2025 request is still substantially higher than the $16.45 billion request for 2023.
If the 2025 budget is appropriated as requested, the S&T enterprise will effectively take its foot off the accelerator in maintaining the Defense Department’s current growth in long-term scientific and technology investment.
While the broader research, development, test and evaluation account continues to grow — focusing on near-term prototyping, system development and demonstration and system integration of new capabilities — cuts to the science-and-technology portfolio weaken the research-and-development ecosystem at a time when long-term investments will pay dividends for capabilities in the 2030s and beyond.
https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2024/4/24/emerging-technology-horizons-defense-budget-request-shortchanges-emerging-tech
