Air Force Allocates 63-Percent of Space Budget to New Weapons Innovation

By Olawale Abaired, Warrior Contributor

Department of the Air Force is requesting $217.5 billion for FY25, marking a 1.1 percent increase over the ’24 President’s Budget Request. The Air Force’s budget of $188.1 billion represents a 1.6 percent increase over the ’24 request, while the Space Force’s budget of $29.4 billion indicates a 2 percent decrease from the ’24 request.

Major General Mike A. Greiner, Deputy Assistant Secretary (Budget), provided further details on the appropriation level. The Department’s Fiscal Year ’25 RDT&E budget request is $56.4 billion, a $1 billion increase over the Fiscal Year ’24 requested position. This growth underscores the Department’s commitment to making the necessary investments to implement the National Defense Strategy.

Furthermore, the Air Force’s RDT&E Fiscal Year ’25 budget request is $37.7 billion, marking a 4.1 percent increase over the Fiscal Year ’24 requested position. This budget request includes $3.7 billion for the Sentinel Program, $2.7 billion for the B-21 Raider program, and $623 million for the long-range standoff weapon program.

In addition, the Space Force’s RDT&E Fiscal Year ’25 budget request, which accounts for 63 percent of the Space Force’s total budget, is $18.7 billion- a 2.6 percent decrease from the Fiscal Year ’24 requested position.

The Department of Defense (DoD) has announced that Operation and Maintenance (O&M) is the largest appropriation, making up 37 percent or $80.8 billion of the overall Department’s budget requests. O&M funds are critical to sustaining readiness, building resiliency, and enhancing our warfighting posture.

The Fiscal Year ’25 Space Force O&M budget request increases to $5.2 billion, including $1.4 billion to support weapons system sustainment at 81 percent of the requirement, maintaining 52 weapon systems.