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1 [1] (November 13, 2025)

handle is hein.crs/govessm0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Updat Defense Primer: Budgeting for National and Defense Intelligence Introduction Intelligence Community (IC) programs include the resources (i.e., money and personnel) to accomplish intelligence-related goals and responsibilities as defined in Title 50 of the United States Code (U.S.C.) and Executive Order 12333, United States Intelligence Activities. IC programs are funded through the (1) National Intelligence Program (NIP), which covers the programs, projects, and activities of the IC oriented toward the strategic requirements of policymakers; and (2) Military Intelligence Program (MIP), which funds defense intelligence activities intended to support tactical military requirements and operations. The Director of National Intelligence (DNI) and the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security (USD(I&S)), who is using Under Secretary of War for Intelligence and Security as a secondary title under Executive Order 14347 dated September 5, 2025, manage the NIP and MIP, respectively, under different authorities. NIP and MiP Fundi ng Title 50 U.S.C. §3306 requires that the President, as part of the annual budget submission to Congress, disclose the total amount of funding-called the topline-requested for the NIP. The DNI is not required to disclose any other information concerning the NIP budget, such as whether funds would be used for particular intelligence agencies or particular intelligence programs. Although not mandated by statute, the Secretary of Defense, who is using Secretary of War as a secondary title under Executive Order 14347 dated September 5, 2025, has disclosed annual MIP appropriations totals dating back to 2007. For FY2026, funding requested for the NIP and MIP totaled $115.5 billion, including $81.9 billion for NIP and $33.6 billion for MIP. Compared to FY2025 requested amounts of $73.4 billion for the NIP and $28.2 billion for the MIP, the FY2026 budget requested $8.5 billion and $5.4 billion more, respectively. It also represents an increase of a total of $9.2 billion more than the FY2024 appropriated totals ($106.3 billion: $76.5 billion for the NIP and $29.8 billion for the MIP). Background NationaL Intellgence Program (NIP) The origins of the intelligence budget, separate and distinct from the defense budget, date to reforms initiated in the 1970s to improve oversight and accountability of the IC. At that time, the National Foreign Intelligence Program (NFIP) was managed by the Director of Central Intelligence (DCI), in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, and overseen by the National Security Council (NSC). Congress redesignated the NFIP as the NIP in the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (IRTPA; ed November 13, 2025 P.L. 108-458, §1074). The IRTPA also provided for additional IC reforms, including the position of DNI. The DNI was given more budgetary authority over the NIP than the DCI had over the NFIP. Intelligence Community Directive (ICD) 104 provides overall policy, including a description of the DNI's roles and responsibilities as program executive of the NIP. Military Intelgence Program (MIP) Military-specific tactical and/or operational intelligence activities were not included in the NFIP. They were known as Tactical Intelligence and Related Activities (TIARA) and managed separately by the Secretary of Defense. TIARA referred to the intelligence programs, platforms, and capabilities supporting the units of a particular military service. In 1994, Congress created a new category called the Joint Military Intelligence Program (JMIP) for defense- wide intelligence programs, platforms, and capabilities. In 2005, the Secretary of Defense signed a memorandum that merged TIARA and JMIP to form the MIP. DOD Directive 5205.12, effective November 27, 2024, established policy and assigned responsibilities within the MIP, including the USD(I&S)'s role as program executive of the MIP. A program is primarily NIP if it funds an activity that supports more than one department or agency (such as satellite imagery), or provides a service supporting multiple IC elements (such as secure communications). The NIP funds the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) in their entirety, and funds the strategic intelligence activities associated with IC components of United States government departments, suchDOD's National Security Agency (NSA). A program is primarily MIP if it funds an activity that addresses a unique DOD requirement. Additionally, MIP funds may be used to sustain, enhance, or increase capacity/capability of NIP systems. The DNI and USD(I&S) have worked together to facilitate the integration of NIP and MIP intelligence efforts. Mutually beneficial programs have received both NIP and MIP resources. Two Budget Processes: PP PP The IC's Intelligence Planning, Programming, Budgeting and Evaluation (IPPBE) process allocates funding and personnel resources for IC-wide capabilities through the development and execution of the NIP and its associated budget. The NIP addresses priorities described in national security-related documents such as the National Intelligence Strategy. The IPPBE process has applied to all 18 components of the IC, as specified in 50 U.S.C. §3003(4). Program managers have controlled NIP resources aligned