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1 [1] (December 18, 2025)

handle is hein.crs/goveszr0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional Research Service informing the legislitive debate since 1914 0 Updated December 18, 2025 Defense Primer: Future Years Defense Program (FYDP) ackground The Future Years Defense Program (FYDP, commonly pronounced fye-dip) is a projection of the forces, resources, and programs to support Department of Defense (DOD) operations. [DOD is using a secondary Department of War designation under Executive Order 14347 dated September 5, 2025.] The FYDP is compiled every year and typically completed during the programming phase of the Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution (PPBE) process. DOD updates the projection during the budgeting phase to reflect DOD's final funding decisions presented in the annual President's budget request. The FYDP reflects planned allocations of DOD resources over a multiyear period. According to the department's Future Years Defense Program (FYDP) Structure Handbook, the FYDP is intended in part to link DOD's internal review structure for programs with Congress's review structure for resources, including funding. The FYDP projects DOD funding and manpower needs over a five-year period, and force structure needs over an eight-year period. The projection is typically depicted alongside defense resources for the two previous fiscal years. For example, the FY2026 FYDP reflects FY2024 and FY2025 appropriations, the current budget year estimate (FY2026) as part of the five-year program (FY2026- FY2030), and the estimated force structure through FY2033. See Figure 1. Figure I. FY2026 FYDP Period Current 5-Year Budget Year Program FYDP Preiu Force SAppropr i Years Structure Plan Source: CRS graphic based on DOD Directive 7045.14 DOD Financial Management Regulation describes the FYDP as a series of reports that record and display resource decisions during the PPBE cycle. Such decisions may include reallocating funding for a major defense acquisition program to transition from research and development to procurement; shifting funding fromt multiple programs to a larger, higher-priority procurement; or identifying funding for an emerging priority expected to require resourcing over multiple years. FYDP data are stored in a relational database. Users can enter, update, and view their organization's portion of the FYDP through a web-based application hosted on the department's classified network. Title 10, Section 221, of the United States Code (hereinafter U.S.C.), stipulates that the Secretary of Defense shall submit a FYDP to Congress in conjunction with the President's budget request. A classified version of the FYDP is generally submitted to the congressional committees with jurisdiction over defense matters. Section 1042 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (P.L. 115-91) amended 10 U.S.C. §221 in part to require the Secretary to submit an unclassified electronic version of the FYDP. While the structure of the FYDP is unclassified, the actual FYDP data remain classified. FYDP Organization and Content The FYDP can be viewed as a way to link DOD resources (or inputs) to programs (or outputs). As such, the FYDP can serve to compare or crosswalk the department's output- focused internal review structure with the input-focused congressional review structure. The FYDP tracks the three broad categories of resources available to the DOD as its inputs 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 resources (TOA, Manpower, and Forces) necessary to achieve DOD's objective or plans. Currently, six of the MFPs are considered combat force programs and six are considered support programs. MFP 01: Strategic Forces* MFP 02: General Purpose Forces* MFP 03: Command, Control, Communications, Intelligence, and Space* MFP 04: Mobility Forces* MFP 05: Guard and Reserve Forces* MFP 06: Research and Development MFP 07: Central Supply and Maintenance MFP 08: Training, Medical, & Other Personnel Activities MFP 09: Administration and Associated Activities MFP 10: Support of Other Nations MFP 11: Special Operations Forces* MFP 12: National Security Space *Combat force programs