US Senate Cuts Space Force Budget With Defense Bill Approval

Washington D.C. - In a move that has garnered both support and concern, the Senate Appropriations Committee (SAC) last week approved an $831 billion defense spending bill for fiscal year 2024. The bill includes recommendations for approximately $1 billion in cuts from the U.S. Space Force's $30 billion budget request. The reductions come as a response to schedule and performance issues raised by House appropriators in their version of the 2024 defense spending bill.

The Biden administration had originally requested $30.1 billion for the U.S. Space Force in fiscal year 2024, which would have marked the Space Force's largest budget ever. However, the Senate and House appropriations committees propose slightly over $29 billion for the Space Force, according to estimates from consulting firm Velos.

The recommended cuts are spread across numerous programs in the Space Force's research, development, testing, and engineering (RDT&E) as well as procurement accounts. Specifically, the SAC bill trims $356 million from RDT&E programs and $679 million from procurement programs.

Despite these budget adjustments, the Senate Appropriations Committee emphasized its continued support for the Space Force. The committee assures that it will fully fund the Chief of Space Operations' training initiatives and provide resources for the Space Force's top unfunded priorities. Furthermore, the SAC offered assistance in key classified areas to strengthen the Space Force's capabilities.

In their report accompanying the bill, the committee clarified that the recommended program adjustments were non-prejudicial and were solely based on the cost, schedule, and performance factors presented to the committee during the review process.

Interestingly, the defense bill includes provisions to boost the utilization of commercial space services. Senate appropriators allocated $121.4 million for commercial satellite services, which is $47.9 million more than the Space Force's initial recommendation. Additionally, the committee earmarked $40 million for a pilot program aimed at demonstrating the use of commercial imaging satellites to support military operations.

According to the SAC, the Department of Defense will increasingly rely on new space capabilities to fulfill traditional intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and target tracking missions as replacements for existing airborne assets. The committee recognized that the commercial space marketplace has matured significantly and now has the capacity to directly provide services to both the intelligence community and the Department of Defense.

Furthermore, to enhance monitoring over the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility, the committee allocated an additional $10 million. The funding will be directed towards leveraging commercially available space-based sensors to provide essential electro-optical, infrared, and synthetic aperture radar capabilities.

The defense spending bill will now proceed for further consideration in the Senate, where it may undergo amendments before being finalized. The proposed budget will have far-reaching implications for the U.S. Space Force's operations and its integration of commercial space services to bolster its capabilities.