Updated December 14, 2020
Defense Primer: Future Years Defense Program (FYDP)
Background
view their organization’s portion of the FYDP through a
The Future Years Defense Program (FYDP) is a projection
web-based application hosted on the department’s classified
of the forces, resources, and programs to support
network.
Department of Defense (DOD) operations. The FYDP is
compiled every year and typically completed during the
Section 221 of Title 10, United States Code, stipulates that
programming phase of the Planning, Programming,
the Secretary of Defense shall submit a FYDP to Congress
Budgeting, and Execution (PPBE) process. The projection
in conjunction with the President’s budget request. A
is updated during the budgeting phase to reflect DOD’s
classified version of the FYDP is generally submitted to the
final funding decisions presented in the annual President’s
congressional committees with jurisdiction over defense
budget request.
matters. Section 1042 of the National Defense
Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (P.L. 115-91)
The FYDP reflects the planned allocation of DOD
amended 10 U.S.C. §221 in part to require the Secretary to
resources to major strategic efforts over a multiyear period.
submit an unclassified electronic version of the FYDP.
According to the department’s Future Years Defense
While the structure of the FYDP is unclassified, the actual
Program (FYDP) Structure Handbook, the FYDP is
FYDP data remains classified. DOD has proposed
intended in part to link DOD’s internal review structure for
removing the statutory requirement to submit an
programs with Congress’s review structure for resources,
unclassified FYDP to avoid inadvertently revealing
including funding.
sensitive information about weapons development, force
structure, and strategic plans.
The FYDP projects DOD funding, manpower, and force
structure needs over a five-year period. The projection is
FYDP Organization and Content
typically depicted with defense resources for the two
The FYDP can be viewed as a way to link DOD resources
previous fiscal years and force structure estimates for the
(or inputs) to programs (or outputs). As such, the FYDP can
three subsequent fiscal years. For example, the FY2021
serve to compare or crosswalk the department’s output-
FYDP reflects FY2019 and FY2020 appropriations, the
focused internal review structure with the input-focused
current budget year estimate (FY2021) as part of the five-
congressional review structure.
year program (FY2021-FY2025), and the estimated force
structure through FY2028. See Figure 1.
The FYDP tracks the three broad categories of resources
Figure 1. FY2021 FYDP Period
available to the DOD as its inputs:
Total Obligatory Authority (TOA) – Appropriated
funding, in thousands of dol ars;
Manpower – Military endstrength and civilian ful -time
equivalent work years; and
Forces – Identified as either items of equipment or
combat units.
FYDP outputs are currently grouped under 12 Major Force
Source: CRS graphic based on DOD Directive 7045.14.
Programs (MFPs). An MFP is an aggregation of the
resources (TOA, Manpower, and Forces) necessary to
Primarily used as a planning tool, the FYDP allows DOD
achieve DOD’s objective or plans. Currently, six of the
and the military services to plan for anticipated changes to
MFPs are considered combat force programs and six are
programs or priorities. Such changes may include
considered support programs.
reallocating funding for a major defense acquisition
program transitioning from research and development to
MFP 01* - Strategic Forces
procurement; shifting funding from multiple programs to a
MFP 02* - General Purpose Forces
larger, higher-priority procurement; or identifying funding
MFP 03* - Command, Control, Communications, Intelligence,
for an emerging priority expected to require resourcing over
and Space
a period of multiple years.
MFP 04* - Mobility Forces
DOD Financial Management Regulation describes the
MFP 05* - Guard and Reserve Forces
FYDP as “a series of reports that record and display
MFP 06 - Research and Development
resource decisions” during the PPBE cycle. FYDP data are
stored in a relational database. Users can enter, update, and
MFP 07 - Central Supply and Maintenance
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Defense Primer: Future Years Defense Program (FYDP)
MFP 08 - Training, Medical, & Other Personnel Activities
The first two characters identify the MFP that contains the
MFP 09 - Administration and Associated Activities
PE (in this case, MFP 06 - Research and Development).
MFP 10 - Support of Other Nations
The third and fourth characters have special uses within
certain MFPs. Within MFP 06, these characters indicate a
MFP 11* - Special Operations Forces
specific DOD research and development funding category
MFP 12 - National Security Space
(in this case, applied research). The fifth through seventh
*Combat force programs
characters provide the unique identification for that specific
element. The alphabetical suffix identifies the component
FYDP Structure
responsible for that PE. Commonly referenced PE suffixes
are:
The FYDP’s structure allows a user to examine DOD plans
and programs in three dimensions: component (military
A – Army
service or defense agency); MFP; and appropriation title
BB – Special Operations Command
(e.g., military personnel, procurement, and military
construction). See Figure 2.
C – Missile Defense Agency
DZ – Office of the Secretary of Defense
Figure 2. FYDP Structure
F – Air Force
J – oint Staff
M – Marine Corps
N – Navy
Resource Identification Codes
Each FYDP resource is identified by fiscal year as TOA,
Manpower, or Forces using a Resource Identification Code
(RIC). The RIC is a four-digit code that specifies the type
of resource assigned to each PE. For example, TOA RICs
range from 0300 to 0999 and are used to identify
appropriation accounts in the President’s budget request.
TOA RICs generally correlate to standard account codes
assigned by the Department of the Treasury.
Unlike PEs, RICs are not visible in DOD’s budget
submission to Congress. Instead, the budget documents
Source: CRS graphic based on Defense Acquisition University
generally identify the resource in plain text.
il ustration.
Relevant Statutes
Program Elements
Title 10, U.S. Code, Chapter 9 - Defense Budget Matters
Each DOD component submitting data to the FYDP assigns
resources to an MFP using a unique program element code
CRS Product
or PE. The 12 MFPs include thousands of PEs. Each PE is a
For more information, see CRS In Focus IF10429, Defense
unique alphanumeric code that identifies functional or
Primer: Planning, Programming, Budgeting and Execution (PPBE)
organizational entities and their related resources. PEs may
Process, by Brendan W. McGarry.
have a narrow focus (such as Navy F/A-18 squadrons) or
broad focus (such as Air Force long-range strategic
Other Resources
planning).
DOD Directive 7045.14, The Planning, Programming, Budgeting,
PEs enable a user to identify allocations such as the total
and Execution (PPBE) Process, January 25, 2013.
resources assigned to a program, the weapon systems and
DOD Financial Management Regulation (7000.14-R).
support systems within a program, specified resources in
DOD Future Years Defense Program (FYDP) Structure
logical groupings, or selected functional groupings of
Handbook, February 2020.
resources. See Figure 3 for an example of a PE.
DOD ACQuipedia, Future Years Defense Program (FYDP),
Figure 3. Program Element for Night Vision
Defense Acquisition University.
Technology: PE0602709A
Brendan W. McGarry, Analyst in U.S. Defense Budget
Heidi M. Peters, Analyst in U.S. Defense Acquisition
Policy
IF10831
Source: CRS graphic.
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Defense Primer: Future Years Defense Program (FYDP)
Disclaimer
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