WASHINGTON, Feb. 5 (UPI) -- The U.S. Defense Department budget request for fiscal 2008 totals $623.1 billion, broken down into the base budget and war on terror funding requests.
Here are some of the items and the amounts that make up the base budget request:
--Increasing Army and Marine numbers: $12.1 billion to add a total of 12,000 soldiers and Marines to permanent end strength levels in '08. Overall ground troop strength will be increased annually until 2012.
--Future Army Combat System: $3.7 billion. Major investment areas include unmanned aerial vehicles, manned and unmanned ground vehicles, battlefield command and control systems.
--Joint Maritime Capabilities: 14.4 billion, a $3.2 billion increase over '07. Includes money for one new aircraft carrier, one new submarine, one amphibious assault ship, three littoral combat vessels and the continued building of two new destroyers.
--Joint Air Capabilities: $ 27 billion. This sector funds acquisition of 20 F-22 fighters, 42 F-18 fighters in various configurations, 26 V-22 aircraft, plus continued development and eventual procurement of 12 Joint Strike Fighters,
--Improved Space Capabilities: $6 billion, an increase of about $1.2 billion over FY 2007. Money will be used for continued development of the Space Based Infrared System - High satellite, the Transformational Communications Satellite and others.
