Title: US Army Unveils $185.9 Billion Budget Plan, Halts Extended Range Cannon Artillery

In a recent budget announcement, the US Army revealed a spending plan of $185.9 billion aimed at keeping its weapon modernization programs on track. However, this plan includes cutting a high-profile artillery program and reallocating aviation funds. The White House submitted its fiscal 2025 budget request of $849.8 billion in discretionary spending for the Pentagon, but the final budget is subject to changes in Congress.

Army Under Secretary Gabe Camarillo explained that difficult trade-offs had to be made to maintain pace on modernization efforts and fully fund military personnel accounts, which are increasing due to pay raises. The budget plan focuses on increasing training in the Indo-Pacific region and improving soldier housing with an allocation of $2.1 billion between 2025-2030.

The requested funds for FY25 include $70.7 billion for military personnel, supporting a force of 442,300 active-duty soldiers, 325,000 Army National Guard soldiers, and 175,800 reservists. The Army also seeks $71.4 billion for operations and maintenance, $14.1 billion for research and development, $24.4 billion for weapon procurement, and $3.9 billion for military construction.

One notable change is the Army's decision to halt work on the Extended Range Cannon Artillery (ERCA) platform. The ERCA program aimed to integrate a 30-foot, 58-caliber gun tube to increase the range of BAE Systems' Paladin M109A7 self-propelled howitzer from 30km to 70km. However, technical challenges identified during live fire testing led to the conclusion that the prototyping activity was not successful enough to proceed into production.

Despite this setback, the Army plans to issue a request for information to evaluate full-up systems and ammunition candidates that can provide longer-range artillery capabilities. An investment of $55 million in FY25 is earmarked for a detailed comparison, with the intention of making a final production decision in the future.

Although ERCA work has been paused, development work on new munitions and a supercharged propellant will continue. Further changes to the Army's artillery portfolio may be forthcoming, but they are not reflected in the current budget document.

In addition to the halted ERCA program, the Army recently announced the cancellation of the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) program, the end of production for the UH-60 V Black Hawk, and changes to its unmanned aerial systems. These decisions freed up approximately $4.5 billion between FY25-30, which the Army plans to reinvest in various areas, particularly the aviation portfolio.

The Army is keen on ramping up munitions production, citing the need to adapt to changing battlefields. The FY25 budget request includes $1.2 billion for Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) rockets, $492 million for 230 Precision Strike Missile Increment 1 (PrSM Inc 1), $171.7 billion for 155-mm munitions, and funds to purchase 230 PAC-3 interceptors. Additionally, the testing of the Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) program, referred to as Dark Eagle, is set to resume this summer.

The Army's focus on innovation is evident with its interest in Microsoft's Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) 1.2. If testing of the militarized version of Microsoft's HoloLens 2 heads-up display is successful, the Army plans to spend $256 million to acquire 3,162 units in FY25, along with $98 million for further development. The IVAS technology is designed to be used on the battlefield, in planning, and for training, providing soldiers with enhanced capabilities.

Overall, the Army's budget plan highlights the challenging nature of maintaining a robust military while balancing financial constraints. With strategic allocations and program adjustments, the Army aims to ensure its modernization efforts continue while meeting the evolving needs of the armed forces.