Defense Science and Technology Funding

Abstract

Defense science and technology (Defense S and T) is a term that describes a subset of Department of Defense (DOD) research, development, testing, and evaluation (RDT and E) activities. The Defense S and T budget is the aggregate of funding provided for the three earliest stages of DOD RDT and E: basic research, applied research, and advanced technology development. Defense S and T is of particular interest to Congress due to its perceived value in supporting technological advantage and its importance to key private sector and academic stakeholders. Advocates of strong and sustained Defense S and T funding assert that Defense S and T funding plays important and unique roles in the DOD innovation system, supporting medium-term, evolutionary technologies and incremental innovation that help improve existing products and systems, as well as longer-term, revolutionary technologies providing U.S. technological dominance, deterring conflict, and, when necessary, defeating adversaries. Both evolutionary and revolutionary technologies are viewed by most warfighters and policymakers as central to U.S. national security as well as to the lives of those serving in uniform. In FY2017, Defense S and T was $13.4 billion, nearly six times the FY1978 level of $2.3 billion. Most growth occurred from FY1978 to FY2006, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.4%. From FY2006 to FY2017, growth was slower (0.1% CAGR). Most of the growth and volatility was in advanced technology development. In FY2017 constant dollars, Defense S and T funding peaked at $16.2 billion in FY2005 and declined by $2.8 billion through FY2017. In FY2016, basic research accounted for $2.2 billion of the Defense S and T total. The Navy accounted for the largest share of DOD basic research (29.2%), followed by the Defense-Wide agencies (27.6%), Air Force (23.0%), and Army (20.3%).

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 21, 2018
Accession Number
AD1169678

Entities

People

  • John F. Sargent

Organizations

  • Library of Congress

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Acquisition
  • Congress
  • Data Analysis
  • Department Of Defense
  • Engineering
  • Financial Management
  • Governments
  • Information Processing
  • Information Systems
  • Investments
  • Military Research
  • National Security
  • Organizational Structure
  • Public Policy
  • Social Sciences
  • Students
  • Test And Evaluation
  • United States
  • United States Government
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Defense Acquisition Program Management
  • Public Financial Management and Budgeting
  • Strategic Security Studies