U S Military Electronic Warfare Program Funding Background and Issues for Congress Updated April 16 2020 Congressional Research Service https crsreports congress gov R45756 SUMMARY U S Military Electronic Warfare Program Funding Background and Issues for Congress R45756 April 16 2020 John R Hoehn Analyst in Military Congress in the FY2019 National Defense Authorization Act and the Department of Defense DOD has identified electronic warfare EW as a critical capability supporting Capabilities and Programs military operations to fulfil the current National Defense Strategy Collectively DOD considers procurement appropriations and research development test and evaluation RDT E appropriations as part of its investment accounts Using programs identified by the EW Executive Commission EW EXCOM this report traces funding for three of the military services Air Force Army and Navy along with several defense agencies Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Defense Information Systems Agency the Joint Staff Office of the Secretary of Defense Operational Test and Evaluation and U S Special Operations Command This report compares DOD’s funding requests for FY2019 FY2020 and FY2021 to assess if DOD seeks to increase the funding of the EW portfolio by increasing funding decrease its funding or keep the portfolio relatively unchanged Insights into EW Program Funding This report tracks DOD funding requests for approximately 65 research and develop program elements and 30 procurement line items across FY2019 and FY2021 Reviewing these three fiscal years request allows for comparisons across the EW portfolio and provides insights into how EW was prioritized relative to the overall DOD budget In addition to tracking funding requests in each of the respective fiscal years and identifying what Congress appropriated in FY2019 and FY2020 this report looks at the future years defense program FYDP to identify potential trends in the EW portfolio This report looks at the combination of the procurement and RDT E budget requests to provide a comprehensive unclassified overview of the total EW program requests within DOD DOD requested at least $10 1 billion in FY2019 $10 2 billion in FY2020 and $9 7 billion in FY2021 for EW an amount analogous to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program $10 7 billion in FY2019 or a Ford-class aircraft carrier $12 5 billion in total shipbuilding procurement Based on statements by several senior defense officials and the conclusions of the National Defense Strategy Commission it could be expected that DOD is likely to substantially increase funding for EW programs CRS assesses that DOD requested 11 5% more funding for EW RDT E in FY2021 than what was projected in the FY2019 budget but 1 7% less than what was projected in the FY2020 budget Comparing the procurement budget the FY2021 request seeks to increase funding by 2 2% compared to FY2019 projections but decrease funding by 10 3% compared to what was projected in the FY2020 request From a portfolio perspective CRS assesses that the Administration projects $51 7 billion over the FY2021 Future Years Defense Program FYDP $259 million less than the FY2020 FYDP but $4 5 billion more than the FY2019 FYDP Overall it appears the Administration is prioritizing research and development for EW programs while decreasing procurement which aligns with the overall FY2021 DOD budget request Potential Issues for Congress Based on this analysis this report identifies three potential issues for Congress    Is DOD appropriately funding the EW portfolio How does DOD use appropriated funds for EW programs Is DOD potentially buying new capabilities with research and development funds when it should use procurement funding Does DOD understand what it is developing and procuring within the EW portfolio Congressional Research Service U S Military Electronic Warfare Program Funding Background and Issues for Congress Contents Introduction 1 EW in Support of the National Defense Strategy 1 Methodology 2 EW Research and Development Funding 3 FY2019 RDT E Funding 3 FY2020 RDT E Funding 5 FY2021 Request 6 FY2019 Request Through FY2021 Request RDT E Funding Comparison 8 EW Procurement Funding 9 FY2019 Procurement Funding 9 FY2020 Funding 10 FY2021 Request 11 FY2019 Request through FY2021 Request Procurement Funding Comparison 12 Comparison of RDT E and Procurement Funding 13 Potential Issues for Congress 14 EW Funding Levels 14 Challenges with Appropriations Usage 14 Assessing EW Plans and Programs 15 Figures Figure 1 FY2019 EW RDT E Requested and Enacted Funding 4 Figure 2 FY2020 EW RDT E Requested and Enacted Funding 6 Figure 3 Planned EW RDT E Funding in the FY2019 and FY2020 DOD Budget Requests 8 Figure 4 FY2019 Electronic Warfare Procurement Funding 10 Figure 5 Planned EW Procurement Funding in the FY2019-FY2021 DOD Budget Requests 12 Figure 6 Relationship between RDT E and Procurement Funding 13 Tables Table 1 FY2019 Requested and Future Year Funding for DOD Electronic Warfare RDT E 3 Table 2 FY2020 Requested and Projected Funding for DOD Electronic Warfare RDT E 5 Table 3 FY2021 Requested and Projected Funding for DOD Electronic Warfare RDT E 7 Table 4 FY2019 Requested and Future Year Funding for DOD Electronic Warfare Procurement 9 Table 5 FY2020 Requested and Future Year Funding for DOD Electronic Warfare Procurement 10 Table 6 FY2021 Requested and Future Year Funding for DOD Electronic Warfare Procurement 11 Congressional Research Service U S Military Electronic Warfare Program Funding Background and Issues for Congress Contacts Author Information 16 Congressional Research Service U S Military Electronic Warfare Program Funding Background and Issues for Congress Introduction Congress has shown an interest in the Department of Defense’s DOD’s electronic warfare EW portfolio requiring an independent assessment of EW plans and programs in the FY2019 National Defense Authorization Act NDAA This report addresses U S military EW funding across research development test and evaluation RDT E and procurement appropriations Using the FY2019 through FY2021 budget request documents this analysis compares funding profiles between fiscal years as well as projected funding across the future years defense program FYDP Using unclassified sources CRS estimates that DOD seeks to invest approximately $9 7 billion in FY2021 funding for EW programs Discussion of specific EWrelated programs as well as an overview of electronic warfare are outside the scope of this report 1 The following analysis looks at EW funding identified by the DOD’s EW Executive Commission EW EXCOM The EW EXCOM identified a series of RDT E program elements from three of the military services Air Force Army and Navy as well as several defense agencies Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Defense Information Systems Agency the Joint Staff Office of the Secretary of Defense Operational Test and Evaluation and U S Special Operations Command Using the program elements identified this analysis extrapolates procurement funding to provide an overview of DOD investments in electronic warfare in FY2019 and FY2020 and requested investments in FY2021 EW in Support of the National Defense Strategy Over the past two decades China and Russia have seen U S military command and control intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance C2ISR networks as a critical capability that they must develop capabilities against which to effectively compete 2 Both countries as a result have invested heavily in EW-related systems 3 According to one analyst the Russian military views electronic warfare as a “type of armed struggle using electronic means against enemy C4ISR command control communications computers to ‘change the quality of information ’ or using electronic means against various assets to change the condition of the operational environment ”4 Similarly China has developed sophisticated EW capabilities to disrupt and deny adversary access to command and control systems—particularly space-based systems 5 Not only has the Chinese military been developing new systems but it routinely exercises with them In its most 1 For an overview of electronic warfare see CRS In Focus IF11118 Defense Primer Electronic Warfare by John R Hoehn For a discussion of Airborne Electronic Attack Aircraft see CRS Report R44572 U S Airborne Electronic Attack Programs Background and Issues for Congress by John R Hoehn 2 Robert N McDermott’s report Russia’s Electronic Warfare Capabilities to 2025 International Centre for Defence and Security September 2017 accessed at https icds ee wp-content uploads 2018 ICDS_Report_Russias_Electronic_Warfare_to_2025 pdf 3 See Department of Defense Annual Report to Congress Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China 2018 p 74 and Department of Defense Defense Intelligence Agency Russia Military Power Building a Military to Support Great Power Aspirations 2017 p 12 4 See Department of Defense Defense Intelligence Agency Russia Military Power Building a Military to Support Great Power Aspirations 2017 p 42 and Robert N McDermott’s Russia’s Electronic Warfare Capabilities to 2025 p 3 International Centre for Defence and Security September 2017 5 Department of Defense Annual Report to Congress Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China 2019 Washington DC 2019 Congressional Research Service 1 U S Military Electronic Warfare Program Funding Background and Issues for Congress recent annual report to Congress DOD documented at least four major exercises the People’s Liberation Army used to test and demonstrate their capabilities 6 The National Defense Strategy Commission an independent Congressional commission charged with evaluating the DOD’s National Defense Strategy identified EW as a critical capability to achieve the goals of the National Defense Strategy 7 Similarly in its FY2019 through FY2021 Defense Budget Overview request documents 8 DOD identified EW as a priority to improve platform and network survivability provide advanced jamming techniques to disrupt radars communications and command and control systems and provide measures to defend the space domain and maintain power projection forces Methodology The Executive Branch and the Congress have placed a higher priority on EW programs in recent years In 2015 the Deputy Secretary of Defense established the EW EXCOM—co-chaired by the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment USD A S and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff—to identify emerging EW technologies 9 The FY2017 NDAA required the EW EXCOM to develop an EW Strategy In its strategy the EW EXCOM identified program elements and projects with EW facets in each of the services’ and Defense-wide Research Development Test and Evaluation RDT E appropriations It did not however identify procurement lines due to complexity and classification issues 10 Furthermore some program elements the EXCOM identified might not clearly refer to EW capabilities like DARPA’s Electronics Technology Other program elements that support EW operations however such as the Navy’s E-2D Hawkeye are not included in the EXCOM’s program list With these methodological limitations this report treats the EW EXCOM’s list of 65 program elements and projects as encompassing DOD EW programs The following analysis compares the FY2019 budget request for these programs with the FY2020 and FY2021 requests The analysis includes funding for the Army Navy Air Force DARPA Defense Information Systems Agency DISA the Joint Staff Office of the Secretary of Defense OSD Operational Test and Department of Defense Annual Report to Congress Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China 2019 p 23 Washington DC 2019 7 National Defense Strategy Commission Providing the Common Defense The Assessment and Recommendations of the National Defense Strategy Commission 2018 accessed on May 7 2019 at https www usip org sites default files 2018-11 providing-for-the-common-defense pdf 8 Department of Defense FY2019 Budget Overview Brief accessed on May 7 2019 at https dod defense gov Portals 1 Documents pubs FY2019-Budget-Request-Overview-Book pdf and Department of Defense FY2020 Budget Overview Brief accessed on May 7 2019 at https comptroller defense gov Portals 45 Documents defbudget fy2020 fy2020_Budget_Request_Overview_Book pdf 9 Department of Defense Directive DODD 3222 04 Electronic Warfare Policy March 26 2014 Incorporating Change 2 August 31 2018 accessed at https www esd whs mil Portals 54 Documents DD issuances dodd 3222 04 pdf ver 2018-10-11-075832-267 DODD 3222 04 identifies the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition Technology and Logistics USD AT L as the co-chair of the EW EXCOM however the DOD was reorganized based on the FY2017 National Defense Authorization Act P L 114-328 which recreated two new Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering USD R E and the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Though DODD 3222 04 was updated after the organizational split it still states that USD AT L is the co-chair based on the author’s interpretation of the USD AT L’s responsibilities outlined it appears the USD A S is the new co-chair of the organization since the instruction states that USD A S is the office of primary responsibility 10 Sydney Freedberg “Electronic Warfare Funding Up But Short of DSB Marker ” Breaking Defense November 28 2018 accessed at https breakingdefense com 2018 11 electronic-warfare-funding-up-still-short-of-dsbrecommendation 6 Congressional Research Service 2 U S Military Electronic Warfare Program Funding Background and Issues for Congress Evaluation OT E and Special Operations Command SOCOM using program elements identified by EXCOM in its strategy document which are aggregated at the department or agency level The FY2021 request includes Space Force programs which had been part of the Air Force request in prior years Though the EW EXCOM did not identify EW procurement programs DOD procurement justification documents P-40s identify related research and development program elements Using the Defense Technical Information Center investment budget search tool 11 this analysis identified the associated EW procurement programs—28 in FY2019 36 in FY2020 and 33 in FY2021 Some research and development efforts—such as the F A-18 Hornet fighter jet and MQ9 Reaper drone—did not differentiate funding for EW-specific procurement and therefore included procurement for aircraft These procurements were excluded so as not to artificially inflate the funding profile Based on the RDT E profiles and program element searches CRS did not identify DISA Joint Staff OSD and DARPA programs with procurement appropriations DOD has stated that it has prioritized EW funding above other programs 12 This report compares funding requests between the three fiscal years to assess if DOD seeks to increase funding of the EW portfolio by increasing funding decrease funding or keep the portfolio relatively unchanged To assess these changes the percentage change from FY2019 to FY2020 is calculated for each appropriations category and then compared to an overall DOD percentage change EW Research and Development Funding FY2019 RDT E Funding Table 1 FY2019 Requested and Future Year Funding for DOD Electronic Warfare RDT E in millions of dollars Future Years Department Agency FY2019 Request FY2019 Enacted Navy 2 443 0 2 393 5 2 345 7 2 090 4 1 611 9 1 417 0 9 908 1 Air Force 1 143 3 1 194 3 1 089 0 966 7 946 2 1 201 4 5 346 6 Army 859 7 945 5 621 0 581 1 576 3 528 5 3 166 6 DARPA 740 5 736 3 809 6 944 3 965 4 991 6 4 451 4 Other 341 0 520 6 312 7 311 4 313 8 351 7 1 630 6 Total 5 527 5 5 790 2 5 178 0 4 894 0 4 413 6 4 490 1 24 503 3 FY2020 FY2021 FY2022 FY2023 Requested FYDP Total Source Air Force FY2019-FY2020 Research Development Test and Evaluation Budget Justification Volume 13b Army FY2019-FY2020 Research Development Test and Evaluation Budget Justification Volume 1-5 Navy FY2019-FY2020 Research Development Test and Evaluation Budget Justification Volume 1-5 Defense-wide FY2019-FY2020 Research Development Test and Evaluation Budget Justification Volume 5 11 Defense Technical Information Center accessed at https apps dtic mil dodinvestment # Department of Defense FY2020 Budget Overview Brief accessed on May 7 2019 at https comptroller defense gov Portals 45 Documents defbudget fy2020 fy2020_Budget_Request_Overview_Book pdf 12 Congressional Research Service 3 U S Military Electronic Warfare Program Funding Background and Issues for Congress Notes The “Other” category combines funding from DISA Joint Staff OSD OTE and SOCOM Data reported from the EW EXCOM and compiled by the Association of the Old Crows based on EW EXCOM designated Program Elements and Projects The “FY2019 Enacted” column is derived from the FY2020 budget request Table 1 above provides an overview of the FY2019 EW RDT E funding request FY2019enacted funding and projected funding for EW program elements in each of the departments and agencies The FY2019 request serves as a baseline to compare how DOD changed its funding priorities for FY2020 Of note DOD requested $5 53 billion in EW RDT E for FY2019 and planned on spending approximately $24 5 billion across the FYDP The Navy requested the most funding in FY2019 $2 44 billion followed by the Air Force $1 14 billion the Army $859 7 million DARPA $740 million and other organizations $341 million EW funding was anticipated to peak in FY2019 then curtail through FY2022 followed by a slight increase in FY2023 Figure 1 FY2019 EW RDT E Requested and Enacted Funding Source Air Force FY2019-FY2020 Research Development Test and Evaluation Budget Justification Volume 13b Army FY2019-FY2020 Research Development Test and Evaluation Budget Justification Volume 1-5 Navy FY2019 Research Development Test and Evaluation Budget Justification Volume 1-5 Defense-wide FY2019FY2020 Research Development Test and Evaluation Budget Justification Volume 5 Note Values presented are in nominal dollars Figure 1 above shows the difference between the Administration’s FY2019 DOD request and the enacted amount of EW RDT E DOD requested a total of approximately $5 5 billion in FY2019 Congress enacted approximately $5 8 billion $263 million above the requested amount Of particular note OSD OT E received additional funding for subsequent testing The largest increases between the FY2019 request and enacted levels were for “Other” agencies—primarily Operational Test and Evaluation—and the Army The Navy and DARPA saw slight decreases from their requested levels Congressional Research Service 4 U S Military Electronic Warfare Program Funding Background and Issues for Congress FY2020 RDT E Funding Table 2 FY2020 Requested and Projected Funding for DOD Electronic Warfare RDT E in millions of dollars Future Years Department Agency FY2020 Requested FY2020 Enacted Navy 2 507 6 2 507 0 2 402 0 1 920 3 1 566 6 1 554 7 9 951 2 Air Force 1 176 3 1 304 2 1 137 2 1 029 4 1 063 3 1 683 6 6 089 8 Army 915 6 889 5 861 7 635 4 589 2 536 2 3 538 2 DARPA 690 6 659 3 880 7 921 7 957 6 981 5 4 432 2 Other 391 5 397 3 361 6 362 6 357 3 344 1 1 817 1 Total 5 681 5 5 757 3 5 643 2 4 869 5 4 534 0 5 100 2 25 828 5 FY2021 FY2022 FY2023 FY2024 FYDP Total Source Air Force FY2020-FY2021 Research Development Test and Evaluation Budget Justification Volume 13b Army FY2020-FY2021 Research Development Test and Evaluation Budget Justification Volume 1-5 Navy FY2020-FY2021 Research Development Test and Evaluation Budget Justification Volume 1-5 Defense-wide FY2020-FY2021 Research Development Test and Evaluation Budget Justification Volume 5 Notes The “Other” category combines funding from DISA Joint Staff OSD OTE and SOCOM Data analyzed by CRS Values may not add due to rounding Table 2 provides the FY2020 request and projected future year funding levels for EW RDT E appropriations in DOD’s FY2020 budget request Of particular note the Administration’s DOD budget requested $504 million in additional RDT E funding for FY2020 compared with the FY2019 request While it would follow a trend line similar to FY2019’s projection DOD’s plan adds additional money to EW capabilities in each of the out-years of the FYDP This increase can primarily be attributed to the Navy’s start of the Next Generation Jammer-Low Band program as well as the Army’s renewed focus on EW capabilities Congressional Research Service 5 U S Military Electronic Warfare Program Funding Background and Issues for Congress Figure 2 FY2020 EW RDT E Requested and Enacted Funding Source Air Force FY2020-FY2021 Research Development Test and Evaluation Budget Justification Volume 13b Army FY2020-FY2021 Research Development Test and Evaluation Budget Justification Volume 1-5 Navy FY2020-FY2021 Research Development Test and Evaluation Budget Justification Volume 1-5 Defense-wide FY2020-FY2021 Research Development Test and Evaluation Budget Justification Volume 5 Note Values presented are in nominal dollars Figure 2 provides a comparison between requested and appropriated amounts by military department for FY2020 There was an overall increase in $140 million in EW research and development efforts The Air Force received approximately $139 million in additional funding compared to the requested amount with the largest increases for Advanced Aerospace Sensor Technologies and EW Quick Reaction Capabilities The Navy received an additional $58 million for EW research and development efforts including more funding for the F A-18 Infrared Search and Track development and Shipboard Information Warfare Exploitation programs These increases were partially offset by a $31 million reduction in DARPA funding for EW research and development and a $26 million reduction in Army funding for such efforts DARPA programs all saw relatively small decreases in funding Army funding decreases included reductions to assured Precision Navigation and Timing equipment development FY2021 Request The FY2021 RDT E request includes approximately $5 7 billion across all military departments and agencies The Navy requested the most following a similar trend in FY2019 and FY2020 The Army requested the second most replacing the Air Force in prior years Table 3 provides an overview of the FY2021 request Congressional Research Service 6 U S Military Electronic Warfare Program Funding Background and Issues for Congress Table 3 FY2021 Requested and Projected Funding for DOD Electronic Warfare RDT E in millions of dollars Future Years Department Agency Navy FY2021 FY2022 FY2023 FY2024 FY2025 FYDP Total 2 379 1 1 964 8 1 676 0 1 612 5 1 567 4 9 199 8 753 0 662 7 551 1 740 8 839 5 3 547 1 1 167 7 937 7 743 2 586 4 578 9 4 013 8 DARPA 660 9 731 4 788 7 907 4 879 6 3 968 0 Space Force 209 4 233 8 469 7 851 2 679 3 2 443 5 Other 397 3 312 2 288 8 284 4 291 3 1 462 7 5 757 3 5 482 2 4 819 3 4 513 2 4 989 6 4 830 6 Air Force Army TOTAL Source Air Force FY2019-2021 Research Development Test and Evaluation Budget Justification Volume 1-3b Army FY2019-2021 Research Development Test and Evaluation Budget Justification Volume 1-5 Navy FY20192021 Research Development Test and Evaluation Budget Justification Volume 1-5 Defense-wide FY2019 Research Development Test and Evaluation Budget Justification Volume 5 Space Force FY2021 Research Development Test and Evaluation Budget Justification Notes The “Other” category combines funding from DISA Joint Staff OSD OTE and SOCOM Data analyzed by CRS Values may not add due to rounding The Army increased EW RDT E funding by $305 million when comparing what was projected from the FY2020 request and what was requested in FY2021 The Air Force experienced the most changes restructuring several program elements and transferring others to the Space Force The top three programs that received increased funding include 1 the Army’s Rapid Capability Development and Maturation program increased by $247 million compared to the FY2020 projection for FY2021 13 2 the F A-18 Infrared Search and Track IRST development increased $168 million 14 and 3 the Eagle Passive Active Warning System increased by $146 million 15 Programs that saw the largest reductions include the B-2 Defensive Management System reduced by $164 million 16 DARPA’s Sensors and Processing Systems program 13 This project funds development for directed energy long-range precision fires air and missile defense cyber artificial intelligence counter-unmanned aircraft systems among other highly demanded capabilities For more information see Department of the Army Research and Development Budget Request February 2020 pp 438-440 https www asafm army mil Portals 72 Documents BudgetMaterial 2021 Base%20Budget rdte RDTE_BA_5C_FY_20 21_PB_RDTE_Vol%202_Budget_Activity_5C pdf 14 The F A-18 IRST is a sensor that uses heat signatures to detect and potentially target adversary aircraft 15 The Eagle Passive Active Warning System is designed to alert F-15 pilots if they are targeted by enemy radar equipment 16 The Air Force announced that it was restructuring the B-2 Defensive Management System program to include only cockpit upgrades instead of a suite of technologies to reduce the risk of the B-2 flying in defended airspace For more information see Valerie Insinna “The Air Force is massively scaling back a major upgrade for the B-2 stealth bomber ” Defense News February 12 2020 at https www defensenews com smr federal-budget 2020 02 12 the-airforce-is-massively-scaling-back-a-major-upgrade-for-the-b-2-stealth-bomber Congressional Research Service 7 U S Military Electronic Warfare Program Funding Background and Issues for Congress reduced by $142 million 17 and the Space Force’s Protected Tactical Satellite Communications reduced $48 million 18 FY2019 Request Through FY2021 Request RDT E Funding Comparison Figure 3 Planned EW RDT E Funding in the FY2019 and FY2020 DOD Budget Requests Source Air Force FY2019-2021 Research Development Test and Evaluation Budget Justification Volume 1-3b Army FY2019-2021 Research Development Test and Evaluation Budget Justification Volume 1-5 Navy FY20192021 Research Development Test and Evaluation Budget Justification Volume 1-5 Defense-wide FY2019 Research Development Test and Evaluation Budget Justification Volume 5 Space Force FY2021 Research Development Test and Evaluation Budget Justification Note Values presented are in nominal or current dollars CRS assesses that the FY2021 request includes 93 program elements associated with electronic warfare and 157 related projects This represents a slight increase from previous years partly as a result of the newly established Space Force the Air Force restructuring research projects and the Army’s restructuring of programs Figure 3 depicts funding projections from the FY2019 FY2020 and FY2021 requests The FY2021 request aligns closely with the FY2020 request reducing funding by $104 million from projections in FY2020 The FY2021 request projects $25 6 billion over five years FY2019 projected $24 6 billion over the FYDP FY2020 similarly projected $25 6 billion 17 This DARPA project funds advanced sensors for intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance activities Of particular note this includes Dynamically Composed RF systems new sensors to detect high-level targets and the spatial temporal and orientation information for contested environments among other activities For more information see Department of Defense Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Budget Request Washington DC February 2020 pp 232-235 https comptroller defense gov Portals 45 Documents defbudget fy2021 budget_justification pdfs 03_RDT_and_E RD TE_Vol1_DARPA_MasterJustificationBook_PB_2021 pdf 18 The Navy reported a $115 decrease in Innovative Naval Prototypes however this is a result of the program element being restructured due to the FY2017 National Defense Authorization Act P L 114-328 Congressional Research Service 8 U S Military Electronic Warfare Program Funding Background and Issues for Congress DOD has increased planned EW RDT E funding from $4 9 billion in its FY2019 request to $5 6 billion in its FY2020 request then down to $5 5 billion in the FY2021 request The FY2021 request represents an 11 7% increase in funding when compared to FY2019 projections but a 1 7% decrease from the projected funding from FY2020 request The overall change from FY2019 to FY2021 11 7% is double the requested 4 9% increase in overall DOD funding from FY2019 to FY2020 EW Procurement Funding FY2019 Procurement Funding Table 4 FY2019 Requested and Future Year Funding for DOD Electronic Warfare Procurement in millions of dollars Future Years FY2019 Request FY2019 Enacted FY2020 FY2021 FY2022 FY2023 Requested FYDP Total 2 431 7 2 420 4 2 714 3 2 778 0 3 059 4 3 539 0 14 522 5 Air Force 919 4 1 363 4 903 1 818 2 1 032 9 936 0 4 609 6 Army 742 8 742 5 350 4 270 1 224 8 232 3 1 820 3 SOCOM 459 7 458 5 293 6 304 3 282 5 295 4 1 635 5 TOTAL 4 553 6 4 984 8 4 261 5 4 170 7 4 599 5 5 002 6 22 587 9 Department Agency Navy Source Air Force FY2019-FY2020 Aircraft Other and Space procurement budget justifications Army FY2019FY2020 Aircraft Missile and Other procurement budget justifications Navy FY2019-FY2020 Aircraft Ammunition Marine Corps and Other procurement budget justifications SOCOM FY2019-FY2020 procurement budget justification Table 4 above provides an overview of the FY2019 EW procurement request along with enacted procurement appropriations Overall the Administration requested $4 55 billion for EW-related procurement activities The Navy requested the most $2 43 billion followed by the Air Force $919 million and the Army $743 million Funding was projected to decline through FY2021 before increasing in FY2022 and FY2023 as a result of the first increment of the Next Generation Jammer NGJ entering production The NGJ is a series of jamming pods designed to disrupt air defense radars and comminutions replacing the Vietnam-era ALQ-99 jammers Congressional Research Service 9 U S Military Electronic Warfare Program Funding Background and Issues for Congress Figure 4 FY2019 Electronic Warfare Procurement Funding FY2019 Requested and Enacted Funding Source Air Force FY2019-FY2020 Aircraft Other and Space procurement budget justifications Army FY2019FY2020 Aircraft Missile and Other procurement budget justifications Navy FY2019-FY2020 Aircraft Ammunition Marine Corps and Other procurement budget justifications SOCOM FY2019-FY2020 procurement budget justification Congress added $431 million in appropriations representing a 9 5% increase over what the Administration requested Figure 4 provides the differences between what was requested versus enacted Of note the Air Force received an additional $444 million over the requested amount due to Congress funding an additional EC-37B aircraft—which is designed to jam air defense radars and command and control systems—as well as increases to combat training ranges and simulations and adjustments to the F-15 defensive systems The Navy and SOCOM saw minor decreases in appropriations FY2020 Funding Table 5 FY2020 Requested and Future Year Funding for DOD Electronic Warfare Procurement in millions of dollars Future Years FY2020 Request FY2020 Enacted FY2021 FY2022 FY2023 FY2024 Requested FYDP Total Navy 2 444 2 2 270 7 2 790 3 3 392 8 4 059 1 4 212 5 16 899 0 Air Force 1 209 6 1 073 5 1 087 7 1 271 1 1 187 6 1 158 0 5 914 1 Army 574 4 428 4 691 8 693 7 787 4 607 9 3 355 1 SOCOM 336 0 336 0 331 6 312 7 332 2 339 4 1 651 9 TOTAL 4 564 2 4 114 2 4 901 4 5 670 3 6 366 3 6 317 8 27 820 1 Department Agency Congressional Research Service 10 U S Military Electronic Warfare Program Funding Background and Issues for Congress Source Air Force FY2020-FY2021 Aircraft Other and Space procurement budget justifications Army FY2020FY2021 Aircraft Missile and Other procurement budget justifications Navy FY2020-FY2021 Aircraft Ammunition Other and Weapons procurement budget justifications SOCOM FY2020-FY2021 procurement budget justification Space Force FY2021 procurement budget justification The Administration requested $4 56 billion in EW procurement for FY2020 adding an additional $303 million compared to what was planned in FY2019 Table 5 provides an overview of the overall FY2020 request The Navy again requested the largest amount $2 44 billion followed by the Air Force $1 21 billion and the Army $574 million The Air Force’s request increased the most by $306 million compared with what had been planned for FY2020 in the previous FY2019 request followed by the Army by $224 million 19 This requested increase can be partially attributed to the Army starting a new program for Assured Positioning Navigation and Timing and the Air Force’s transition of the E-11 Battlefield Airborne Communications Node BACN to a program of record and increases to E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System AWACS modifications FY2021 Request Procurement for EW equipment was $4 2 billion The Navy and the Air Force requested the largest proportions of the request following similar trends identified in FY2019 and FY2020 New to the FY2021 request was funding for the Space Force—the newest military service and authorized in the FY2020 National Defense Authorization Act P L 116-92 Table 6 provides an overview of the FY2021 procurement request Procurement in FY2021 is the lowest of the three fiscal years tracked in this report only slightly higher than funding levels projected from the FY2019 request Table 6 FY2021 Requested and Future Year Funding for DOD Electronic Warfare Procurement in millions of dollars Future Years Department Agency FY2021 FY2022 FY2023 FY2024 FY2025 FYDP Navy 2 156 0 2 538 5 3 458 7 3 522 0 3 750 7 15 425 9 Air Force 1 005 6 1 292 6 1 302 2 1 191 9 1 326 7 6 118 9 Army 744 8 799 6 948 0 693 8 700 2 3 886 3 SOCOM 293 3 277 0 282 6 285 7 286 7 1 425 3 65 5 65 6 66 8 62 8 2 0 262 7 4 265 2 4 973 3 6 058 4 5 756 1 6 066 3 Space Force TOTAL 27 119 2 Source Air Force FY2021 Aircraft Other and Space procurement budget justifications Army FY2021 Aircraft Missile and Other procurement budget justifications Navy FY2021 Aircraft Ammunition Other and Weapons procurement budget justifications SOCOM FY2021 procurement budget justification Space Force FY2021 procurement budget justification There are a few trends to highlight from the FY2021 request First Navy procurement saw the largest decreases The primary programs with significant reductions include MQ-4 Triton procurement reduced $543 million compared to projections for FY2021 from the FY2020 19 The Air Force and Army requested amounts for FY2020 EW procurement are less than what was enacted in FY2019 Congressional Research Service 11 U S Military Electronic Warfare Program Funding Background and Issues for Congress request 20 MQ-4 Triton procurement reduced $373 million 21 and AN ALQ-32s reduced $159 million 22 Procurement for Assured Precision Navigation and Timing PNT equipment increased $93 million Patriot Modifications increased $85 million and the Integrated Fire Protection IFPC Family of Systems increased $46 million received the largest increases compared to the FY2020 request The funding data suggest the Navy is reevaluating its EW programs particularly for the surface fleet FY2019 Request through FY2021 Request Procurement Funding Comparison Figure 5 Planned EW Procurement Funding in the FY2019-FY2021 DOD Budget Requests Source Air Force FY2019-FY2021 Aircraft Other and Space procurement budget justifications Army FY2019FY2021 Aircraft Missile and Other procurement budget justifications Navy FY2019-FY2021 Aircraft Ammunition Marine Corps and Other procurement budget justifications SOCOM FY2019-FY2021 procurement budget justification Space Force FY2021 procurement justification The FY2021 request included approximately $3 7 billion to procure electronic warfare capabilities This represents a 22 5% reduction in procurement funding compared to what was projected for FY2021 in the FY2020 request $4 8 billion The FY2021 FYDP projects $22 8 billion in funding over the next five years this is compared to the FY2019 FYDP which projected $22 5 billion and the FY2020 FYDP which projected $26 3 billion Figure 5 depicts each of the FYDPs as a comparison Figure 5 illustrates the differences between the Administration’s plans for EW procurement from FY2019 to FY2021 The FY2020 request added an additional $5 23 billion across the FYDP compared with the FY2019 FYDP FY2021 added $94 million compared to the FY2019 request but reduced procurement by $491 million compared to projections from the FY2020 request The 20 The DDG Modernization line item funds modifications of MQ-4Cs including intelligence sensors This procurement line item funds modifications of MQ-4Cs including intelligence sensors 22 The AN SLQ-32 funds EW sensors for surface combatants This includes the Surface Electronic Warfare Improvements Block 1 Small Ship Electronic Measures System and High Gain Sensitivity among other activities 21 Congressional Research Service 12 U S Military Electronic Warfare Program Funding Background and Issues for Congress Navy observed the largest decrease in procurement funding resulting in a reduction of $489 million The Air Force saw a reduction of $81 million as well primarily due to the introduction of the Space Force The Army saw the largest increase approximately $53 million It might be argued that DOD is making EW procurement a priority which is aligned with the strategic direction in the National Defense Strategy and recommendations by the National Defense Strategy Commission DOD requested an additional 4 9% increase in funding compared to what it projected in FY2019 EW procurement however increased by 7 1% from the FY2019 request compared to what was requested in FY2020—a 2 2% increase over the DOD request Comparison of RDT E and Procurement Funding Figure 6 Relationship between RDT E and Procurement Funding Source Air Force FY2019-FY2021 Research Development Test and Evaluation Budget Justification Volume 13b Army FY2019-FY2021 Research Development Test and Evaluation Budget Justification Volume 1-5 Navy FY2019-FY2021 Research Development Test and Evaluation Budget Justification Volume 1-5 Defense-wide FY2019-FY2021 Research Development Test and Evaluation Budget Justification Volume 5 Air Force FY2019FY2021 Aircraft Other and Space procurement budget justifications Army FY2019-FY2021 Aircraft Missile and Other procurement budget justifications Navy FY2019-FY2021 Aircraft Ammunition Marine Corps and Other procurement budget justifications SOCOM FY2019-FY2021 procurement budget justification Figure 6 above shows the relationship between RDT E and procurement Some might be concerned looking exclusively at the planned funding levels for RDT E since this appropriation declines over the FYDP However several programs currently receiving RDT E funding—such as the NGJ and the E-11 BACN—transition from being developmental programs to fielded systems Also of note it appears that the Administration may have changed its plans on fielding new programs Based on funding projections the Administration plans on accelerating the Next Generation Jammer quicker than previously anticipated In addition it appears the Administration decided to accelerate the F-15 electronic warfare systems F-15 EPAWS The increase in planned procurement funding in FY2020 is particularly significant compared to the planned funding profile in FY2019 Combining both appropriations DOD requested an additional $662 5 million for EW in FY2021 compared to what it had initially projected in the FY2019 request however the FY2021 request is $591 3 million lower than had been projected from the FY2020 request This represents a 7 3% Congressional Research Service 13 U S Military Electronic Warfare Program Funding Background and Issues for Congress increase in the portfolio from FY2019 projections but a 5 7% decrease compared to projections from the FY2020 projections Potential Issues for Congress EW Funding Levels One potential issue for Congress is the overall funding level for EW programs DOD requested approximately $9 7 billion dollars in FY2021 for the EW portfolio based on unclassified budget request documents 23 Historically individual EW programs have not been generally seen as large enough for in-depth congressional scrutiny 24 however combined these programs represent funding levels nearly as much as an aircraft carrier $12 5 billion in total procurement for CVN80 25 or the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter procurement $10 7 billion in FY2019 26 Congress may ask whether $10 2 billion is sufficient for DOD to execute its missions or conversely whether this funding level is too much Second Congress may ask whether each of the military services is funding unique programs or whether there are overlapping programs that provide similar capabilities To understand these questions Congress may consider a historical perspective on how much the DOD allocated for EW to compare if current funding exceeds or under resources the portfolio A second metric Congress may potentially consider using is the ratio of spending for procurement and RDT E appropriations to understand where in the lifecycle EW programs currently are and if the current portfolio is an anomaly Many EW programs are highly classified due to their close relationship with intelligence and command and control programs As a result there is potentially insufficient unclassified information to assess how much DOD is currently spending on EW This limitation of data presents a potential oversight issue for Congress 27 Challenges with Appropriations Usage Some have argued that DOD has not adequately prioritized EW over the past several years The budget projections described above may support the argument that DOD is now prioritizing investment in EW funding 28 Congress may consider whether DOD uses research and development funding to procure new electronic components Congress might consider requiring DOD to report all EW-related funding for procurements as well as ensuring that DOD is not procuring new or advanced electronics through other appropriations 23 This funding does not include classified programs or other research and development efforts or procurements that had distinctly EW facets 24 Some exceptions to this have included the Ec-130H Compass Call jamming aircraft and its replacement the EC-37B Compass Call Rehost 25 CRS Report RS20643 Navy Ford CVN-78 Class Aircraft Carrier Program Background and Issues for Congress by Ronald O'Rourke 26 CRS Report RL30563 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter JSF Program by Jeremiah Gertler 27 For a more detailed discussion about Congressional oversight of classified programs see CRS Report R44463 Air Force B-21 Raider Long-Range Strike Bomber by Jeremiah Gertler 28 For example see Bryan Clark and Mark Gunzinger Winning the Airwaves Regaining America’s Dominance in the Electromagnetic Spectrum Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments Washington DC 2017 https csbaonline org uploads documents CSBA6292-EW_Reprint_WEB pdf Congressional Research Service 14 U S Military Electronic Warfare Program Funding Background and Issues for Congress The EW EXCOM has stated that many procurement programs have EW-related spending and it is difficult and complex to differentiate among them 29 As a result this report does not include all EW-related procurement programs and therefore does not account for all EW funding If Congress maintains interest in EW procurement it may consider requiring DOD to report all EWrelated procurement programs as well as to break out specific EW-related initiatives within a larger procurement program 30 Assessing EW Plans and Programs Congress has shown an interest in developing a comprehensive assessment of EW plans and programs across each of the DOD services and agencies The FY2019 NDAA P L 115-232 required DOD to contract with a scientific organization to perform an independent assessment of DOD-related EW plans and programs 31 According to the legislation this assessment identified U S programs orders of battle and doctrine analyze adversary programs orders of battle and doctrine and make recommendations for how the U S military might counteract adversary plans and programs 32 The Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments delivered the NDAA mandated study in December 2019 33 however the FY2020 NDAA required a similar study to be performed In addition to requesting an independent assessment of EW programs and plans the FY2019 NDAA required DOD to update its Electronic Warfare Strategy from 2017 and submit it to Congress 34 Congress has expressed concern that DOD has not synchronized its efforts to ensure its dominance in the electromagnetic spectrum For DOD to remain competitive Congress directed the Secretary of Defense and a senior designated official to develop a process and procedure to integrate and enhance EW mission areas across DOD i e to ensure each of the services cooperates and is integrated in the Joint force as opposed to having service-specific solutions This section of the NDAA requires DOD to develop a “defense-wide strategy planning and budgeting process and procedures with respect to conduct of such operations electronic attack by the Department including activities conducted to counter and deter such operations by malign actors ”35 The strategy was delivered in 2019 however much of the detail of this particular strategy is classified Sydney Freedberg “Electronic Warfare Funding Up But Short of DSB Marker ” Breaking Defense November 28 2018 accessed at https breakingdefense com 2018 11 electronic-warfare-funding-up-still-short-of-dsbrecommendation 30 For example the F A-18 Hornet is currently upgrading its Infrared Search and Track IRST system to better enable the aircraft to operate in contested environments There is currently RDT E funding associated with this program however there is only a single procurement line item for the F A-18 Hornet which does not disclose what allocations of funds are used for procuring new airframes versus new avionics and components 31 P L 115-232 §255 32 P L 115-232 §255 33 Bryan Clark Whitney M McNamara and Timothy A Walton Winning the Invisible War Gaining an Enduring U S Advantage in the Electromagnetic Spectrum Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments Washington DC November 20 2019 https csbaonline org research publications winning-the-invisible-war-gaining-an-enduring-u sadvantage-in-the-electromagnetic-spectrum 34 P L 115-232 §1053 35 P L 115-232 §1053 29 Congressional Research Service 15 U S Military Electronic Warfare Program Funding Background and Issues for Congress Author Information John R Hoehn Analyst in Military Capabilities and Programs Disclaimer This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service CRS CRS serves as nonpartisan shared staff to congressional committees and Members of Congress It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of Congress Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of information that has been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in connection with CRS’s institutional role CRS Reports as a work of the United States Government are not subject to copyright protection in the United States Any CRS Report may be reproduced and distributed in its entirety without permission from CRS However as a CRS Report may include copyrighted images or material from a third party you may need to obtain the permission of the copyright holder if you wish to copy or otherwise use copyrighted material Congressional Research Service R45756 · VERSION 3 · UPDATED 16