Defense Primer: Future Years Defense Program (FYDP)
Updated January 23, 2024
Defense Primer: Future Years Defense Program (FYDP)
Background
web-based application hosted on the department’s classified
The Future Years Defense Program (FYDP, commonly
network.
pronounced “fye-dip”) is a projection of the forces,
resources, and programs to support Department of Defense
Title 10, Section 221, of the United States Code (hereafter
(DOD) operations. The FYDP is compiled every year and
U.S.C.), stipulates that the Secretary of Defense shall
typically completed during the programming phase of the
submit a FYDP to Congress in conjunction with the
Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution (PPBE)
President’s budget request. A classified version of the
process. DOD updates the projection during the budgeting
FYDP is generally submitted to the congressional
phase to reflect DOD’s final funding decisions presented in
committees with jurisdiction over defense matters. Section
the annual President’s budget request.
1042 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal
Year 2018 (P.L. 115-91) amended 10 U.S.C. §221 in part to
The FYDP reflects the planned allocation of DOD
require the Secretary to submit an unclassified electronic
resources to major strategic efforts over a multiyear period.
version of the FYDP. However, while the structure of the
According to the department’s Future Years Defense
FYDP is unclassified, the actual FYDP data remains
Program (FYDP) Structure Handbook, the FYDP is
classified. DOD has proposed removing the statutory
intended in part to link DOD’s internal review structure for
requirement to submit an unclassified FYDP to avoid
programs with Congress’s review structure for resources,
inadvertently revealing sensitive information about
including funding.
weapons development, force structure, and strategic plans.
The FYDP projects DOD funding, manpower, and force
FYDP Organization and Content
structure needs over a five-year period. The projection is
The FYDP can be viewed as a way to link DOD resources
typically depicted with defense resources for the two
(or inputs) to programs (or outputs). As such, the FYDP can
previous fiscal years and force structure estimates for the
serve to compare or crosswalk the department’s output-
three subsequent fiscal years. For example, the FY2021
focused internal review structure with the input-focused
FYDP reflects FY2019 and FY2020 appropriations, the
congressional review structure.
current budget year estimate (FY2021) as part of the five-
year program (FY2021-FY2025), and the estimated force
The FYDP tracks the three broad categories of resources
structure through FY2028. See Figure 1.
available to the DOD as its inputs:
Figure 1. FY2024 FYDP Period
Total Obligatory Authority (TOA): Appropriated
funding, in thousands of dollars;
Manpower: Military end-strength and civilian full-
time equivalent work years; and
Forces: Identified as either items of equipment or
combat units.
DOD currently groups FYDP outputs under 12 Major Force
Programs (MFPs). An MFP is an aggregation of the
Source: CRS graphic based on DOD Directive 7045.14.
resources (TOA, Manpower, and Forces) necessary to
achieve DOD’s objective or plans. Currently, six of the
Primarily used as a planning tool, the FYDP allows DOD
MFPs are considered combat force programs and six are
and the military services to plan for anticipated changes to
considered support programs.
programs or priorities. Such changes may include
reallocating funding for a major defense acquisition
MFP 01: Strategic Forces*
program transitioning from research and development to
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,
for an emerging priority expected to require resourcing over
Intelligence, and Space*
a period of multiple years.
MFP 04: Mobility Forces*
MFP 05: Guard and Reserve Forces*
DOD Financial Management Regulation describes the
FYDP as “a series of reports that record and display
MFP 06: Research and Development
resource decisions” during the PPBE cycle. FYDP data are
MFP 07: Central Supply and Maintenance
stored in a relational database. Users can enter, update, and
MFP 08: Training, Medical, & Other Personnel
view their organization’s portion of the FYDP through a
Activities
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Defense Primer: Future Years Defense Program (FYDP)
MFP 09: Administration and Associated Activities
The first two characters identify the MFP that contains the
MFP 10: Support of Other Nations
PE (in this case, MFP 06: Research and Development). The
third and fourth characters have special uses within certain
MFP 11: Special Operations Forces*
MFPs. Within MFP 06, these characters indicate a specific
MFP 12: National Security Space
DOD research and development funding category (in this
*Combat force programs
case, applied research). The fifth through seventh characters
provide the unique identification for that specific element.
FYDP Structure
The alphabetical suffix identifies the component
The FYDP’s structure allows a user to examine DOD plans
responsible for that PE. Commonly referenced PE suffixes
and programs in three dimensions: 1) component (military
are
service or defense agency); 2) MFP; and 3) appropriation
• A: Army
title (e.g., military personnel, procurement, and military
• BB: Special Operations Command
construction). See Figure 2.
• C: Missile Defense Agency
Figure 2.FYDP Structure
• DZ: Office of the Secretary of Defense
• F: Air Force
• J: Joint 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
Source: CRS graphic based on Defense Acquisition University
submission to Congress. Instead, the budget documents
il ustration.
generally identify the resource in plain text.
Program Elements
Relevant Statutes
Each DOD component submitting data to the FYDP assigns
resources to an MFP using a unique program element code,
Title 10, Ch. 9, of the U.S. Code: Defense Budget Matters
or PE. The 12 MFPs include thousands of PEs. Each PE is a
CRS Product
unique alphanumeric code that identifies functional or
organizational entities and their related resources. PEs may
CRS In Focus IF10429, Defense Primer: Planning, Programming,
have a narrow focus (such as Navy F/A-18 squadrons) or
Budgeting, and Execution (PPBE) Process, by Brendan W.
broad focus (such as Air Force long-range strategic
McGarry
planning).
Other Resources
PEs enable a user to identify allocations such as the total
DOD Directive 7045.14, The Planning, Programming, Budgeting,
resources assigned to a program, the weapon systems and
and Execution (PPBE) Process, updated 2017
support systems within a program, specified resources in
DOD Financial Management Regulation (7000.14-R)
logical groupings, or selected functional groupings of
DOD, Future Years Defense Program (FYDP) Structure Handbook,
resources. See Figure 3 for an example of a PE.
updated 2020
Figure 3.Program Element for Night Vision
DOD, Defense Acquisition University, Acquisition
Technology: PE0602709A
Encyclopedia (ACQuipedia), Future Years Defense Program
(FYDP)
Brendan W. McGarry, Analyst in U.S. Defense Budget
Alexandra G. Neenan, Analyst in U.S. Defense
Infrastructure Policy
Source: CRS graphic.
IF10831
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Defense Primer: Future Years Defense Program (FYDP)
Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan shared staff to
congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of Congress.
Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of information that has
been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the
United States Government, are not subject to copyright protection in the United States. Any CRS Report may be
reproduced and distributed in its entirety without permission from CRS. However, as a CRS Report may include
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