The U.S. Army announced April 10 that it is seeking $5 billion in fiscal 2014 to buy or upgrade its helicopter fleet and acquire more large and small unmanned aircraft to provide ground troops with better intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
The Army’s cut of the $526.6 billion Defense Department 2014 budget request is $129.7 billion, with only 18%, $23.9 billion, going to procurement and research, development, testing and evaluation programs. Personnel needs will be getting the largest piece of the pie, 44%, or $56.6 billion.
As with the rest of the Pentagon budget, the Army request does not yet have a figure for overseas operations — mostly in Afghanistan. Documents accompanying the budget numbers stated the base budget request is $1.7 billion, almost 7% less than the fiscal 2013 request.
Aircraft procurement was the largest single buying category in the fiscal 2014 request at just more than $5 billion. Last year’s aircraft request was $5.85 billion, not counting the $486 million requesting for overseas operations.
The Army is requesting $550 million to acquire 15 new MQ-1 Gray Eagle extended range, multipurpose unmanned aircraft systems, including ground control stations and satellite communications terminals, plus four aircraft war replacements. Also on the Army shopping list: $122 million for RQ-7 Shadow and $11 million for RQ-11 land-launched Raven unmanned aircraft.
Source: Aviation Week