The Biden administration’s first defence budget

Abstract

US President Joe Biden and his appointees at the US Department of Defense have submitted their first budget to Congress to fund defence-related activities in the next fiscal year, which begins on 1 October 2021. The new top-line spending figure is slightly higher in nominal terms and slightly lower in real terms than last year’s budget. The new administration’s changes to the budget suggest that it is seeking to create a force structure that emphasises technological sophistication and readiness over the acquisition of new ships and aircraft.