Defense Primer: Future Years Defense Program (FYDP)

Updated December 18, 2025

Defense Primer: Future Years Defense Program (FYDP)

Background

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 (FY2026FY2030), and the estimated force structure through

FY2033. See Figure 1.

Figure 1. FY2026 FYDP Period

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 from

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 outputfocused 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 fulltime 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

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Defense Primer: Future Years Defense Program (FYDP)

FYDP Structure

The FYDP’s structure allows a user to examine DOD plans

and programs in three dimensions: (1) component (military

service or defense agency); (2) MFP; and (3) appropriation

title (e.g., military personnel, procurement, and military

construction). See Figure 2.

Figure 2. FYDP Structure

Source: CRS graphic based on Defense Acquisition University

illustration.

Program Elements

Each DOD component submitting data to the FYDP assigns

resources to an MFP using a unique program element code,

or PE. The 12 MFPs include thousands of PEs. Each PE is a

unique alphanumeric code that identifies functional or

organizational entities and their related resources. PEs may

have a narrow focus (such as Navy F/A-18 squadrons) or

broad focus (such as Air Force long-range strategic

planning).

PEs enable a user to identify allocations such as the total

resources assigned to a program, the weapon systems and

support systems within a program, specified resources in

logical groupings, or selected functional groupings of

resources. See Figure 3 for an example of a PE.

Figure 3. Program Element for Night Vision

Technology: PE0602709A

DOD research and development funding category (in this

case, applied research). The fifth through seventh characters

provide the unique identification for that specific element.

The alphabetical suffix identifies the component

responsible for that PE. Commonly referenced PE suffixes

include

• A: Army

• BB: Special Operations Command

• C: Missile Defense Agency

• 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. 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

generally identify the resource in plain text.

Relevant Statute

Title 10, Ch. 9, of the U.S. Code: Defense Budget Matters

CRS Product

CRS In Focus IF10429, Defense Primer: Planning, Programming,

Budgeting, and Execution (PPBE) Process, by Brendan W.

McGarry

Other Resources

DOD Directive 7045.14, The Planning, Programming, Budgeting,

and Execution (PPBE) Process, updated 2017

DOD, Financial Management Regulation (7000.14-R)

DOD, Future Years Defense Program (FYDP) Structure Handbook,

September 2025

DOD, Defense Acquisition University, Acquisition

Encyclopedia (ACQuipedia), Future Years Defense Program

(FYDP)

Source: CRS graphic.

The first two characters identify the MFP that contains the

PE (in this case, MFP 06: Research and Development). The

third and fourth characters have special uses within certain

MFPs. Within MFP 06, these characters indicate a specific

Cameron M. Keys, Analyst in Defense Logistics and

Resource Management Policy

Alexandra G. Neenan, Analyst in U.S. Defense Policy

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IF10831

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

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