IT grows in Defense 2003 budget request

The Department of Defense last week released initial details of its fiscal 2003 budget request for information technology and national security systems.

The details show the Defense Department will remain an aggressive implementer of information technology, according to analysis from Federal Sources Inc., a McLean, Va., IT market research and consulting firm specializing in the public sector technology market.

Overall, the Defense Department's fiscal 2003 budget for IT and national security systems is $26.4 billion, up nearly 12 percent over fiscal 2002. The Navy and Air Force would be the biggest beneficiaries: Navy funding would increase 16 percent, and Air Force funding would rise 13 percent.

Among the defense agencies, the Defense Information Systems Agency would receive $3.9 billion, or 42 percent of the $9.3 billion slated for defense agencies and Defense Department field activities. The Defense Logistics Agency would get a 25 percent increase in technology-related funding.