Budget sets stage for fight with Congress.

• Author: Farrell, Lawrence P., Jr.
• Position: President's Perspective

It initially appeared that the Defense Department's budget for fiscal year 2015 had at last offered some much needed breathing room for the military to prepare for leaner times. But it is now clear that the same challenges will continue into 2016.

The fiscal year 2015 defense discretionary budget top line is $495.6 billion. The request includes an additional $26 billion fund called the Opportunity, Growth and Security Initiative, part of a government-wide proposal by President Obama that for defense is targeted at readiness, modernization, base sustainment and military construction. About $336.3 billion, or roughly two-thirds of the proposed budget, pays for operations, while the other third, or $159.3 billion, makes investments in modernization and recapitalization of equipment and facilities.

The budget request includes a 20 percent cut in headquarters operating costs, a base realignment and closure round recommended for fiscal year 2017, proposed adjustments to military compensation and healthcare benefit reforms, 26 F-35As, six F-35Bs and two F-35Cs--with a total of 343 Joint Strike Fighters over the five-year future years defense program.

The budget funds 59 Air Force combat-coded air squadrons, provides $900 million for the long range strike bomber in 2015 and $11.4 billion for it over the FYDP; seven KC-46 tankers in 2015 and 69 aircraft over the FYDP; $1 billion over the FYDP for a next-generation jet engine; a 288-ship Navy in 2014 which is proposed to grow to about 309 ships over the FYDP; two Virginia-class submarines and two DDG-51 guided-missile destroyers per year over the FYDP; three littoral combat ships in 2015 and 14 total over the FYDP; a Marine Corps end strength of 182,700 in 2015; 32 active Army brigade combat teams and 28 Army National Guard brigade combat teams; $7.5 billion for the Missile Defense Agency and $5.1 billion for cyber operations; and $7.7 billion for special operations, a 10 percent increase over this year's funding.

The FYDP for fiscal years 2016 through 2019 included in this budget request exceeds the current budget caps for those years by about $115 billion. In order for that funding to be appropriated in 2016 and beyond, Congress would need to change the budget caps established by the 2011 Budget Control Act and amended by the 2013 Bipartisan Budget Act.

The budget reasonably tries to balance near-term readiness against long-term modernization, although the Army will struggle more than the other...