FY2022 NDAA: Research, Development, Test and Evaluation Authorizations
INSIGHTi
FY2022 NDAA: Research, Development, Test
and Evaluation Authorizations
March 18, 2022
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) typically authorizes appropriations for Department of
Defense (DOD) research, development, test and evaluation (RDT&E) programs in Title II of Division A.
RDT&E accounts fund a range of activities carried out by DOD, as well as laboratories in other federal
agencies, universities, private-sector companies, and other entities. The NDAA authorizes appropriations
for RDT&E accounts of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Space Force. The Research, Development, Test
and Evaluation, Defense-Wide, account funds activities of the Missile Defense Agency (MDA), Defense
Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and other agencies reporting to the Office of the
Secretary of Defense. The Operational Test and Evaluation, Defense account funds the Office of the
Director of Operational Test and Evaluation and related activities.
Summary of RDT&E Authorizations
President’s Budget Request
The FY2022 President’s budget requested $112 billion in discretionary funding for DOD RDT&E
programs—$5.5 billion (5%) more than the enacted FY2021 level. In a memorandum to DOD employees,
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III said DOD’s ability to innovate “at a speed and scale” to counter
threats depends in part on “a commitment to rapid experimentation and fielding of capabilities.” In an
overview of the FY2022 budget request, DOD described the level of RDT&E funding as “the most ever.”
The document also identified amounts for certain advanced technologies, including
$3.8 billion for hypersonic technologies (e.g., the Army’s Long Range Hypersonic
Weapon, or LRHW; the Navy’s Conventional Prompt Strike, or CPS; and the Air Force’s
Advanced Rapid Response Weapon, or ARRW);
$2.3 billion for various microelectronics efforts;
$874 million for artificial intelligence activities; and
$398 million for 5G wireless networks.
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House-Passed NDAA
The House-passed NDAA (H.R. 4350) would have authorized $118.1 billion for RDT&E programs—$6.1
billion (5.5%) more than the request. The House legislation would have authorized $7.4 billion in
increases to the request (i.e., funding beyond the amounts for certain programs requested in the budget or
for programs not requested in the budget). The net effect of these increases would have been offset by
$1.3 billion in decreases to the request.
SASC-Reported NDAA
The SASC-reported NDAA (S. 2792) would have authorized $116.1 billion for RDT&E programs—$4.2
billion (3.7%) more than the request. The SASC legislation would have authorized $4.4 billion in
increases to the request. The net effect of these increases would have been offset by more than $0.2 billion
in decreases to the request.
Enacted NDAA
The enacted NDAA (S. 1605; P.L. 117-81) authorized $117.7 billion for RDT&E programs—$5.8 billion
(5.1%) more than the request. The legislation authorized $6.5 billion in increases to the request, including
for certain DOD unfunded priorities. The net effect of these increases was offset by $0.7 billion in
decreases to the request. Among the accounts with the biggest increases from the request were RDT&E,
Defense-Wide and Operational Test and Evaluation, Defense. See Table 1.
Table 1. Summary of Research and Development Authorizations in the FY2022 NDAA
(in billions of dollars)
Account
Request
House-passed
SASC-reported Enacted
Difference (%)
RDT&E, Army
$12.80
$13.41
$13.11
$13.31
4.0%
RDT&E, Navy
$22.64
$23.18
$23.77
$23.10
2.0%
RDT&E, Air
$39.18
$39.44
$40.10
$40.50
3.4%
Force
RDT&E, Space
$11.27
$11.60
$11.80
$11.79
4.6%
Force
RDT&E, Defense-
$25.86
$30.25
$27.13
$28.78
11.3%
Wide
OT&E, Defense
$0.22
$0.22
$0.24
$0.24
9.2%
Total
$111.96
$118.11
$116.14
$117.73
5.1%
Source: CRS analysis of funding tables in explanatory statement accompanying the FY2022 NDAA (P.L. 117-81) in the
Congressional Record, December 7, 2021, p. H7362, pp. H7386-H7416.
Notes: Totals may not sum due to rounding. Dol ars rounded to nearest hundredth; percentages rounded to nearest
tenth. “Difference (%)” column is the percentage difference between enacted and requested amounts.
Selected Increases and Decreases
Among the largest increases, in terms of dollar value, for RDT&E line items from the budget request to
the enacted NDAA were
$315 million for defense-wide information and communications technology to implement
recommendations from the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence,
among other activities;
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$263 million for Air Force aerospace sensors to conduct applied research on
microelectronics, among other activities;
$257 million for Air Force advanced engine development of prototype turbines for next-
generation combat aircraft;
$246.3 million for the defense-wide manufacturing science and technology program for
biotechnology innovation, among other activities; and
$218 million for defense-wide technology analysis to support research into using existing
radiofrequency signals—so-called signals of opportunity—to obtain position, navigating,
and timing (PNT) information, among other activities.
Among the largest decreases, in terms of dollar value, for RDT&E line items from the budget request to
the enacted NDAA were
$89.8 million for Army technology maturation initiatives;
$64.6 million for the ballistic missile defense segment intended to destroy short- to
intermediate-range missiles during their final phase of flight;
$60.1 million for Navy (Take Charge and Move Out) TACAMO modernization to
develop a replacement for E-6 command-and-control aircraft, designed to provide a
secure communications platform during a nuclear attack;
$55 million for Air Force B-52 squadrons for work related to the Commercial Engine
Replacement Program (CERP) to replace the TF33 engines on the bomber fleet; and
$47 million for Navy unmanned surface vehicle enabling capabilities, including
autonomy development, machinery qualification efforts, and sensor acquisition, among
others.
Hawaii Radar
The enacted NDAA authorized $75 million for the Homeland Defense Radar-Hawaii, a missile defense
radar intended to help defend Hawaii from long-range ballistic missile threats and to address operational
requirements of U.S. Northern Command and U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. The latter had requested $60
million (in RDT&E and military construction funding) on its unfunded priorities list for the radar and
related infrastructure to begin operating the system in FY2024. The Administration had opposed
additional funding for the radar in part because other associated systems have been delayed or canceled. It
argued, “Hawaii is currently defended against missile threats to the same extent as the rest of the United
States, and DOD is currently investing in other capabilities, such as the Next Generation Interceptor,
which will support the long-term defense of Hawaii.”
Software Pilots
For FY2022, DOD requested $2.3 billion for 13 software and digital technology pilot programs within a
relatively new budget activity in various RDT&E accounts. Budget activity 6.8, created in FY2021, is
intended to provide DOD with greater budgetary flexibility for software development in part by allowing
such funding to be used for “agile research, development, test and evaluation, procurement, production,
modification, and operation and maintenance.” The enacted NDAA supported the Administration’s
request for the pilot programs, and authorized an additional $36 million for the defense-wide Algorithmic
Warfare Cross Functional Team initiative, formerly known as Project Maven, which seeks to accelerate
the integration of artificial intelligence into DOD systems.
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Community Project Funding Items
Within RDT&E accounts, the enacted NDAA authorized $98 million for 29 earmarks (also known as
congressionally directed spending or Community Project Funding items).
Author Information
Brendan W. McGarry
Analyst in U.S. Defense Budget
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