National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics | NSF 26-309 Table 6. Department of Defense, total obligational authority for research, development, test, and evaluation, by DOD budget activity: FYs 2024–26 (Millions of dollars and percent change) Funding category and agency Budget activity 2024 actual ($millions) 2025 preliminarya ($millions) 2026 proposed ($millions) 2024–25 (% change) 2025–26 (% change) RDT&E total budget authority
148,107 141,352 141,189 -4.6 -0.1 R&D budget authority within RDT&E accountsb
96,675 89,159 85,964 -7.8 -3.6 RDT&E total obligational authorityc
148,107 141,352 141,189 -4.6 -0.1 Basic research 1 2,628 2,474 2,074 -5.9 -16.2 Defense agencies 802 811 575 1.2 -29.1 Department of the Air Force 567 508 397 -10.3 -21.9 Space Force 34.5 36.08 36.839 4.6 2.1 Department of the Army 561 505 487 -10.0 -3.7 Department of the Navy 664 613 578 -7.6 -5.7 Applied research 2 7,593 6,251 5,799 -17.7 -7.2 Defense agencies 2,288 2,276 2,400 -0.5 5.5 Department of the Air Force 1,843 1,400 1,306 -24.0 -6.7 Space Force 343 256 278 -25.3 8.6 Department of the Army 1,716 1,162 861 -32.3 -25.9 Department of the Navy 1,403 1,157 955 -17.5 -17.5 Advanced technology development 3 11,287 10,136 9,985 -10.2 -1.5 Defense agencies 5,726 5,773 6,220 0.8 7.8 Department of the Air Force 1,151 814 834 -29.3 2.6 Space Force 710 750 589 5.7 -21.6 Department of the Army 2,352 1,696 1,240 -27.9 -26.9 Department of the Navy 1,348 1,104 1,101 -18.1 -0.2 Advanced component development and prototypes 4 39,682 35,995 30,781 -9.3 -14.5 Defense agencies 11,708 10,667 10,390 -8.9 -2.6 Department of the Air Force 9,829 11,102 6,267 12.9 -43.5 Space Force 3,873 4,196 4,248 8.4 1.2 Department of the Army 4,336 2,170 2,421 -49.9 11.5 Department of the Navy 9,936 7,860 7,454 -20.9 -5.2 System development and demonstration 5 26,195 24,466 27,483 -6.6 12.3 Defense agencies 1,424 1,017 1,015 -28.6 -0.3 Department of the Air Force 7,250 4,791 9,765 -33.9 103.8 Space Force 5,652 5,433 3,892 -3.9 -28.4 Department of the Army 5,091 5,759 5,379 13.1 -6.6 Department of the Navy 6,777 7,466 7,432 10.2 -0.5 RDT&E management support 6 9,290 9,837 9,842 5.9 0.1 Defense agencies 2,074 2,547 2,032 22.8 -20.2 Department of the Air Force 3,536 3,460 3,804 -2.1 9.9 Space Force 492 571 633 16.0 10.8 Department of the Army 1,703 1,783 1,956 4.7 9.7 Department of the Navy 1,148 1,127 1,068 -1.8 -5.2 Operational test and evaluation 337 349 349 3.3 0.0 Operational System Development 7 50,560 51,899 54,396 2.6 4.8 Defense agencies 12,095 12,098 10,594 0.0 -12.4 Department of the Air Force 23,165 24,806 29,644 7.1 19.5 Space Force 7,443 7,165 5,638 -3.7 -21.3 Department of the Army 1,253 1,214 1,427 -3.1 17.5
National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics | NSF 26-309 Table 6. Department of Defense, total obligational authority for research, development, test, and evaluation, by DOD budget activity: FYs 2024–26 (Millions of dollars and percent change) Funding category and agency Budget activity 2024 actual ($millions) 2025 preliminarya ($millions) 2026 proposed ($millions) 2024–25 (% change) 2025–26 (% change) Department of the Navy 6,604 6,616 7,093 0.2 7.2 Software and Digital Technology Pilot Programs 8 872 295 829 -66.2 181.6 Defense agencies 623 50 513 -92.1 936.3 Department of the Air Force 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 Space Force 122 146 201 19.1 38.0 Department of the Army 104 75 89 -28.4 19.7 Department of the Navy 22 25 26 11.2 4.2 DOD = Department of Defense; RDT&E = research, development, test, and evaluation. a The preliminary data available from the agencies for FY 2025 at the time of this report reflect mainly the annualized continuing resolution funding levels that existed through early March 2025, which were later extended by a continuing resolution to the end of FY 2025. It does not include any funding received through reconciliation. b Totals for development spending across all years do not include DOD Budget Activity 7 (BA 7) (Operational System Development) and Budget Activity 8 (BA 8) (Software and Digital Technology Pilot Programs), due to implementation of the narrowed definition of development described by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in its Circular A-11 of July 2016. BA 7 funds support development efforts to upgrade systems that have been fielded or have received approval for full-rate production and anticipate production funding in the current or subsequent fiscal year. BA 8 funds the acquisition of services, business process re- engineering activities, functional requirements development, technical evaluations, and other activities in direct support of acquiring, developing, deploying, sustaining, enhancing, and modernizing Software and Digital Technology Pilot Programs, and BA 8 funds the purchase of commercial off the shelf software, tools, and services. c RDT&E budget activity codes are broad categories reflecting different types of RDT&E efforts, as specified in the DOD Financial Management Regulation. Note(s): Detail may not add to total because of rounding. Percent change is calculated on unrounded data. Source(s): Agencies' submissions to OMB per MAX Schedule C, agencies' budget justification documents, supplemental data obtained from agencies' budget offices, and Executive Office of the President, OMB, Budget of the United States Government, Fiscal Year 2026.