DoD has high expectations for a mostly flat $715 billion budget for fiscal year 2022, the nation’s highest-ranking uniformed officer told Congress. 

Testifying May 27 before the House defense appropriations subcommittee, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Army Gen. Mark Milley said the proposed budget “is the result of hard choices in a year in which the nation has suffered economic hardship.” 

Full details of the budget were not yet released when the hearing was held. 

“The Army is not getting shortchanged in this budget,” Milley said, noting he has closely worked with Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville on priorities. 

The budget will be about $11 billion more than the current fiscal 2021 request, which is not quite enough to keep pace with inflation.  

Milley said he recognizes this is a “significant commitment” on behalf of taxpayers, promising, “we will work diligently to ensure it is spent prudently in the best interests of the nation.” 

Describing a world filled with rapid changes and the potential for increased threats to peace and stability, Milley said, “It is imperative that we maintain our technological advantage over our competitors.” The budget has a “bias on the future” rather than today, he said. “This year’s budget will adequately fund our department priorities.” 

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he shares Milley’s view that the right priorities are getting attention. “It provides us the ability to go after the capability we need,” he said.  

“This budget stays true to our focus on matching the pacing challenge we see from the People’s Republic of China. However, we recognize that is not our only challenge,” Austin said. The goal is to “focus on the things we know we’ll need.” 

“It invests in hypersonic weapons, artificial intelligence, micro-electronics, 5G technology, cyber capabilities, shipbuilding, climate change resilience and nuclear modernization, to name a few,” he said, “and it gives us the flexibility to divest ourselves of systems and platforms that do not adequately meet our needs.” That includes older ships, aircraft and platforms for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance “that demand more maintenance, upkeep and risk than we can afford.” 

Austin said the proposed plan “funds the right mix of capabilities we need most to defend this nation, now and in the future.” 

Retiring older weapons systems is likely to be a major area of contention between the Pentagon and lawmakers as the budget proposal works its way through Congress.