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Updated January 3, 2020
Defense Primer: RDT&E
Advanced technology plays a critical role in ensuring U.S.
purpose, and may authorize DOD to transfer a portion of
national security. To maintain technological superiority on
these funds to other accounts, such as RDT&E, to help
the battlefield, the Department of Defense (DOD) relies on
achieve that purpose.
scientific and technical knowledge developed in large
measure through research, development, test, and
Defense Appropriations Act Titles That Fund RDT&E
evaluation (RDT&E) funded by the department and
performed by industry, universities, federal laboratories,
Title IV: Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation
and others. DOD also relies increasingly on technology
Army
developed by the private sector for commercial markets.
Navy
This In Focus describes DOD’s RDT&E appropriations
Air Force
structure and funding levels.
Defense-wide
Operational Test and Evaluation
DOD appropriations are provided annually through the
Title V: Revolving and Management Funds
defense appropriations act, one of the 12 regular
National Defense Sealift Fund
appropriations acts that provide most of the discretionary
Title VI: Other Defense Programs
funding for operation of the federal government. DOD
Chemical Agents and Munitions Destruction
RDT&E funding is generally provided in four of this act’s
Defense Health Program
titles (see box). Congress also sometimes provides DOD
Inspector General
RDT&E funding through supplemental appropriations acts.
Title IX: Overseas Contingency Operations
Congress appropriated a total of $108.5.0 billion for DOD
Any of the above
RDT&E for FY2020 in the Department of Defense
Transfer Funds
Appropriations Act, 2020, included as Division A of the
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 (P.L. 116-93).
RDT&E by Character of Work
RDT&E by Organization
While DOD Title IV funds are appropriated only by
organization, DOD budget justifications and congressional
RDT&E Appropriations Under Title IV
appropriations reports and explanatory statements also
typically describe this funding by the character of the work
Approximately 96% of DOD’s RDT&E funding is
to be performed. This characterization consists of seven
appropriated in Title IV (Research, Development, Test, and
categories, each with a budget activity code (6.1 through
Evaluation), which includes appropriations for the Army,
6.7) and a description. (See Table 1.)
Navy, Air Force, a Defense-wide RDT&E account, and the
Director of Operational Test and Evaluation. The Defense-
Table 1. DOD RDT&E Budget Activity Codes
wide account includes the Missile Defense Agency (MDA),
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA),
Code Description
Office of the Secretary of Defense, and 15 other DOD
6.1
Basic Research
organizations. Within each of these accounts are program
elements (PEs) that provide funding for particular activities
6.2
Applied Research
(e.g., night vision technology, aviation survivability).
6.3
Advanced Technology Development
RDT&E Under Other Titles
6.4
Adv. Component Development and Prototypes
RDT&E funds are also appropriated for programs in other
6.5
System Development and Demonstration
titles of the defense appropriations act. For example,
6.6
RDT&E Management Support
RDT&E funds are also appropriated in Title VI as part of
the Chemical Agents and Munitions Destruction Program,
6.7
Operational Systems Development
the Defense Health Program, and the Inspector General. In
Source: Department of Defense, Financial Management Regulation
some years, RDT&E funds are also provided in Title V as
(DoD 7000.14-R), Volume 2B, November 2017.
part of the National Defense Sealift Fund.
Funding in codes 6.1 to 6.3 is referred to by DOD as the
In some years, RDT&E funds have also been appropriated
science and technology (S&T) budget. This portion of DOD
in Title IX as part of DOD’s funding for Overseas
RDT&E is often singled out for attention by analysts, as it
Contingency Operations (OCO). Typically, the RDT&E
is seen as the pool of knowledge necessary for the
funds appropriated for OCO activities support specified PEs
development of future military systems. In contrast, 6.4,
in Title IV, though they are requested and accounted for
6.5, and 6.7 funds are focused on the application of existing
separately. Alternatively, they may be provided to a transfer
scientific and technical knowledge to meet current or near-
fund. Congress establishes transfer funds for a particular
term operational needs. The funds in 6.6 are for RDT&E
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Defense Primer: RDT&E
management and support work in any of the other RDT&E
Figure 2. Title IV and Title IX (OCO) RDT&E by
budget accounts. Within the S&T program, basic research
Organization, FY2020
(6.1) receives special attention, particularly by the nation’s
universities. DOD spends nearly half of its basic research
budget at universities. DOD is a substantial source of
federal funds for university R&D in certain fields, such as
aerospace, aeronautical, and astronautical engineering
(40%); electrical, electronic, and communications
engineering (40%); industrial and manufacturing
engineering (29%); mechanical engineering (28%); and
metallurgical and materials engineering (24%); computer
and information sciences (30%); and materials science
(21%).
Funding Profile of DOD RDT&E
Total DOD RDT&E for FY2020 is $108.5 billion, of which
Title IV funding accounts for $104.4 billion (96.3%). (See
Figure 1.)
Figure 1. Title IV Share of Total RDT&E, FY2020
Source: CRS analysis of P.L. 116-93.
Note: Percentages may not add to 100% due to rounding.
Figure 3 illustrates FY2020 Title IV and Title IX (OCO)
RDT&E funding by character of work. DOD S&T funding
(6.1-6.3) accounted for $16.2 billion (15.3%) of this
funding. RDT&E funds provided in other DOD
appropriations titles and supplemental acts are not included
in this analysis as they are not parsed by character of work.
Figure 3. Title IV and Title IX (OCO) RDT&E by
Character of Work, FY2020
Budget authority, in bil ions of current dol ars
Source: CRS analysis of P.L. 116-93.
Note: Percentages may not add to 100% due to rounding.
FY2020 RDT&E provided by Title IV and Title IX (OCO)
is $105.3 billion. The composition of this funding by
organization is shown in Figure 2.
Source: CRS analysis of P.L. 116-93.
Note: Percentages may not add to 100% due to rounding. Funding
for the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation is included in 6.6;
funding for classified research is included in 6.7.
Relevant Statutes
Title 10, U.S. Code, Chapter 139—Research and
Development
Title 10, U.S. Code, Chapter133—Under Secretary of
Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics
Title 10, U.S. Code, Chapter138(b)(8)—Assistant Secretaries
of Defense–Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and
Engineering)
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Defense Primer: RDT&E
CRS Products
Other Resources
CRS Report R44711, Department of Defense Research,
Under Secretary of Defense (Comptrol er), DOD Budget
Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E): Appropriations
Request
Structure, by John F. Sargent Jr.
Department of Defense Research, Development, Test, and
CRS Report R45715, Federal Research and Development (R&D)
Evaluation Programs (R-1), FY2020
Funding: FY2020, coordinated by John F. Sargent Jr.
CRS Report R45403, The Global Research and Development
Landscape and Implications for the Department of Defense, by
John F. Sargent Jr. and Marcy E. Gallo.
John F. Sargent Jr., Specialist in Science and Technology
CRS Report R44010, Defense Acquisitions: How and Where
Policy
DOD Spends Its Contracting Dollars, by John F. Sargent Jr. and
Christopher T. Mann.
IF10553
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