Thread by @jseldin

Pentagon asking for $30.6 billion for munitions in FY 24 - a 12% increase over FY 23 & a 50% increase over 5 years ago

"We are buying to the limits of the industrial base, even as we are expanding the industrial base" per @DepSecDef Kathleen Hicks

Munitions & munition production has been in the crosshairs due to demand/aid to #Ukraine

Per @DepSecDef, 1/3 of munitions spending will go for long range fires, including #hypersonic missiles

"This latest budget...procures the maximum amt of munitions that are most relevant for deterring &, if necessary, prevailing over aggression in the #IndoPacific..." per @DepSecDef's prepared remarks

#IndoPacific focused munitions include:

- #Tomahawk cruise missile / latest Maritime Strike variant
- extended-range Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile, or the JASSM-ER
- Long Range Anti-Ship Missile, or LRASM
- the anti-ship-capable SM-6 missile

per @DepSecDef

.@DeptofDefense $842 billion FY 24 budget request also includes:

- $67.4 billion for cyber, IT & electronic warfare capabilities
- $1.4 billion for Joint All-Domain Command & Control (JADC2)
- $33.3 billion for resilient space (architectures, capabilities, command & control)

.@DepSecDef also pleas for Congress to pass a budget on time

"To out-compete the PRC [#China], we cannot have one hand tied behind our back for 3, 4, 5, 6 months out of each year" she says "And let me assure you: more money cannot buy back lost time"

"We are not a nation that lives in a no risk world" per @DepSecDef, saying the large budget is necessary to make sure the US can deploy "a combat credible force"

"Our focus is on outcomes..." per @DepSecDef on US increasing its defense budget by 3.2%, less than half of what #China is doing (7.2%)

"We think we're better at it than the Chinese are" she adds of US getting results for defense spending... "We are not a paper tiger military"

New @DeptofDefense $842 billion budget request "makes major investments in integrated air & missile defenses...air dominance, our maritime dominance, & in munitions, including hypersonics" per @SecDef Lloyd Austin in statement "...to sustain our military advantage over #China"

New DoD budget "includes the largest ever request for the Pacific Deterrence Initiative" at $9.1 billion, per @SecDef

"...enables groundbreaking posture initiatives in #Guam, #Mariana Islands, the #Philippines, #Japan, & #Australia"