Defense spending accounted for about 20 percent of total federal spending in 2012. CBO analyzes the budgetary effects of proposed legislation related to national security and assesses the cost-effectiveness of current and proposed defense programs. CBO also evaluates federal programs and issues related to veterans.
National Security
featured work
The Army’s Ground Combat Vehicle Program and AlternativesApr 2013 - CBO compares the Army’s plan for the GCV with four options and finds that, although no option would meet all of the Army’s goals, all are likely to be less costly and pose a smaller risk of delay than CBO expects for the Army’s plan.
Approaches for Scaling Back the Defense Department’s Budget Plans Mar 2013 - The costs of the Department of Defense’s (DoD’s) budget plans through 2021 would be much higher than the funding permitted under the Budget Control Act’s statutory caps. CBO examined four options to cut back on DoD’s forces and activities.
Costs of Military Pay and Benefits in the Defense BudgetNov 2012 - For fiscal year 2013, the Department of Defense has requested $150 billion for pay and benefits for current and retired military personnel--more than one-quarter of DoD’s total budget (excluding funding for military operations in Afghanistan).
Long-Term Implications of the 2013 Future Years Defense ProgramJul 2012 - CBO projects that DoD’s plans will cost $123 billion, or 5 percent, more to execute through 2017 than DoD estimates. CBO also projects that the cost of DoD’s plans will exceed the limits established in the Budget Control Act.
An Analysis of the Navy's Fiscal Year 2013 Shipbuilding PlanJul 2012 - The Navy’s 30-year shipbuilding plan calls for purchasing 268 ships through 2042. CBO finds that the plan would fall short of the Navy’s goals for some types of ships. The plan would also cost an average of $22 billion per year (in 2012 dollars), much more than the Navy has received in recent years.
The Veterans Health Administration's Treatment of PTSD and Traumatic Brain Injury Among Recent Combat VeteransFeb 2012 - Through September 2011, about 740,000 veterans from overseas contingency operations in Iraq and Afghanistan had been treated by the VHA. That number is slightly more than half of all recent veterans eligible for care by VHA.
latest work
Snapshot of Spending for Military Retirement Pay
blog postApril 17, 2013The Army’s Ground Combat Vehicle Program and Alternatives
reportApril 2, 2013H.R. 1073, the Nuclear Terrorism Conventions Implementation and Safety of Maritime Navigation Act of 2013
cost estimateMarch 19, 2013Approaches for Scaling Back the Defense Department’s Budget Plans
reportMarch 18, 2013Military Retirement—February 2013 Baseline
data or technical informationFebruary 5, 2013H.R. 4310, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013
cost estimateDecember 19, 2012Costs of Military Pay and Benefits in the Defense Budget
reportNovember 14, 2012CBO Releases Report on Costs of Pay and Benefits in the U.S. Military
blog postNovember 14, 2012
Use this menu to filter CBO's publications by topic. From January 2011 forward, all the agency's products are categorized by topic. Cost estimates released prior to the 112th Congress are not categorized by topic.