Here are the highlights of the Pentagon's latest budget
The Pentagon's funding proposal includes a $534.3 billion base budget that could be capped at $500 billion due to sequestration, with an additional $50.9 billion in additional war funding for Afghanistan and counterterrorism operations.
The Pentagon's proposed budget for 2016 represents a 6% increase in purchasing power from the previous year, in after-inflation dollars.
Here are a number of highlights of the Pentagon's proposed budget, according to Jeremy Herb and Austin Wright of Politico.
Naval vessel procurement
The 2016 budget dedicates $107.7 billion to the procurement of new hardware. Of that, the Navy will spend $11.6 billion in a nine-ship procurement package.This package includes three Littoral Combat Ships, two Virginia-class attack submarines, two destroyers, an oiler, and an amphibious transport ship.
The F-35
The multi-billion dollar F-35 program looms large in the proposed 2016 budget.The Pentagon will request the procurement of an additional 57 F-35 fighter jets at a cost of $10.6 billion.
Air Force programs
Aside from the F-35, the Pentagon is requesting additional funding for its KC-46A tanker program, the development of a next-generation long-range bomber, and the procurement of additional MQ-9 Reaper drones.All together, these programs would have a price tag slightly over $5 billion.
Increased services budgets
The Pentagon's budget includes an increase in the base budgets of the military services. The proposal for 2016 would see the Air Force's budget increase $16 billion to $152.9 billion, the Navy's budget would increase $11.8 to $161 billion, and the Army's budget would increase $7 billion to $126.5 billion.Continuing the fight against terrorism
The 2016 budget contains funding to continue operations against terrorist networks around the world. The budget includes $5.3 billion for the continuation of Operation Inherent Resolve against ISIS in the forms of surveillance, airstrikes, and the training of Iraqi and Syrian forces.The Department of Defense would also receive $2.1 billion to facilitate partner building exercises and carry out joint operations against terrorist networks around the world.