WASHINGTON -- The Department of the Navy released April 10 its proposed $155.8 billion budget for fiscal year 2014.
This budget is part of the $525 billion defense budget President Barack Obama submitted to Congress on the same day.
Rear Adm. Joseph Mulloy, deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for budget, briefed media at the Department of Defense budget press conference about the Navy and Marine Corps portion of the budget, which was a $4.2 billion decrease from last year's baseline appropriation.
"So the bottom line (for military personnel), the Navy's going to slow growth slightly over time. We've pretty much reached the point where, to be able to operate with the force we have and to be able to properly man and train, we need these forces," Mulloy said.
This year's budget submission was guided by the CNO's tenants of warfighting first, operate forward and be ready. Mulloy said the Navy is funding our forces operating forward, providing money to maintain and train those units getting ready to deploy, and investing in the people, ships and technology of our future force.
The budget includes a $49 billion request for operations and maintenance. This is an approximately three percent reduction, but it allows the Navy to maintain its commitment in the Middle East and the Western Pacific, consistent with the Defense Strategy.
This year's submission also supports readiness for our next-to-deploy ships and units who will be preparing for their deployments in FY14. The Navy has also increased its ship depot-level maintenance account to increase the scope and complexity of our maintenance availabilities.
The Navy has also requested $43.5B for ship, aircraft, weapons and other procurement for programs including Joint Strike Fighter, Littoral Combat Ship, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, and P-8A Poseidon aircraft.
Following last year's budget for FY13, this budget includes cuts and other initiatives that will reduce planned spending across several years. The FY14 budget request does not reflect the future uncertainty associated with the implementation of sequestration as it is submitted as part of the President's balanced deficit reduction plan.
