Pentagon budget 2025: Aegis BMD cut slightly in USN request

The Pentagon's FY2025 budget request for Aegis ballistic missile defence would decrease spending compared to FY2024. (US Army)

The Department of Defense is requesting about USD1.3 billion for sea-based Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) in its proposed fiscal year (FY) 2025 budget, compared to about USD1.7 billion requested for FY 2025, according to budget documents released on 11 March.

The FY 2025 request includes 12 interceptors for USD491.4 million, compared to 39 interceptors for USD807.6 million requested in FY 2024.

The FY 2025 request also includes about USD32 million for installation-related procurement and USD784.3 million for research, development, testing and evaluation (RDT&E), compared to USD27.8 million for installation and USD887.2 million for RDT&E in FY 2024.

Aegis Sea-Based Weapon Systems build upon the existing US Navy Aegis Weapons System (AWS) and Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) design. Upgrades are being made to the weapon system and SM-3 designs which expand capability through a series of incremental, evolutionary improvements to counter more sophisticated long-range threats, including cruise missile and hypersonic threats.

The FY 2025 proposed funding procures 12 SM-3 Block IIAs and pivots from and discontinues the SM-3 Block IB procurements in favour of SM-3 Block IIA.

The funding also further integrates the Block IIA missile into the AWS and provides for capability upgrades of the Aegis Baseline 5 (BMD 4.x) and Aegis Baseline 9 (BMD 5.x) Weapon Systems and the development of Aegis BL 10 (BMD 6).

The funding also procures one BMD 5.x hardware shipset and conntinues technology maturation and prototyping support for the AN/SPY-1 radar Digital Receive Upgrades (DRU) to improve sensitivity, tracking performance, and resource utilisation.