Defense Budget
- Blog Post
CBO Releases an Updated Interactive Tool for Analyzing the Size and Cost of the U.S. Military
The enhanced tool lets users change the defense budget to see the possible effects on military forces, or add or subtract major units to see the effects on the budget, or explore a mix of those approaches. It includes a how-to-use tutorial.
- Interactive
CBO’s Interactive Force Structure Tool
This tool allows the user to see the effects on the Department of Defense’s total operation and support costs and on the size of the military of adding or subtracting tanks, ships, aircraft, and other units.
- Report
The U.S. Military’s Force Structure: Fiscal Year 2024 Update to Personnel Numbers and Costs
This spreadsheet provides the data that underlie CBO’s interactive force structure tool.
- Report
An Analysis of the Navy’s Fiscal Year 2024 Shipbuilding Plan
Under the three alternatives in the Navy’s 2024 plan, total shipbuilding costs would average about $34 billion to $36 billion per year (in 2023 dollars) through 2053, CBO estimates, as the Navy built a fleet of 319 to 367 battle force ships.
- Report
Long-Term Implications of the 2024 Future Years Defense Program
CBO analyzes the Department of Defense’s plans for 2024 through 2028 as presented in the 2024 Future Years Defense Program. Under those plans, CBO projects, defense costs would increase by 10 percent between 2028 and 2038.
- Report
Answers to Questions for the Record Following a Hearing on Approaches to Reducing the Department of Defense’s Compensation Costs
The Senate Armed Services Committee’s Subcommittee on Personnel convened a hearing at which David E. Mosher, CBO’s Director of National Security Analysis, testified. This document provides CBO’s answers to questions for the record.
- Report
Purposes and Uses of Special and Incentive Pay for Military Personnel
CBO analyzes funding for special and incentive pay for active-duty service members in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps and explores how those types of pay have been used to address personnel shortfalls.
- Report
Testimony on Approaches to Reducing the Department of Defense’s Compensation Costs
David E. Mosher, CBO's Director of National Security Analysis, testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee's Subcommittee on Personnel.
- Presentation
Alternative Ways to Provide Fuel Within the Department of Defense
The Defense Logistics Agency buys fuel and charges the military services for it. But volatile fuel costs can cause changes in rates that create budgetary challenges for the services. CBO examined new ways to budget for and price fuel.
- Report
Projected Costs of U.S. Nuclear Forces, 2023 to 2032
CBO estimates that plans for U.S. nuclear forces, as described in the fiscal year 2023 budget and supporting documents, would cost $756 billion over the 2023–2032 period, $122 billion more than CBO’s 2021 estimate for the 2021–2030 period.