WASHINGTON — The Pentagon disclosed on Friday that it received $30.9 billion for the Military Intelligence Program in fiscal 2026, saying the total was “aligned to the National Defense Strategy” and that further details “remain classified for national security reasons,” Breaking Defense reported.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence released its own figure the same day: $78.1 billion for the National Intelligence Program, which funds the CIA, the National Security Agency and other agencies. Together, the two programs total $109 billion, the largest combined figure in a historical table of disclosed intelligence budgets kept by the Federation of American Scientists. The previous high was $106.3 billion in fiscal 2024.
The Department of War, as the Pentagon has been styled under a September 2025 executive order, said releasing a single top-line number does not jeopardize classified activities, according to a summary of the announcement by DefSec Wire. It released no breakdown by agency or program.
Both appropriated figures came in below what the administration asked for. ODNI had requested $81.9 billion for the National Intelligence Program, and the Pentagon had sought $33.6 billion for the military program.
The numbers
The Military Intelligence Program rose about $3.1 billion from fiscal 2025’s $27.8 billion, but came in $2.7 billion short of the request. The National Intelligence Program rose $4.8 billion from $73.3 billion, and fell $3.8 billion short of the request.
| Fiscal year | National Intelligence Program | Military Intelligence Program | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 78.1 | 30.9 | 109.0 |
| 2025 | 73.3 | 27.8 | 101.1 |
| 2024 | 76.5 | 29.8 | 106.3 |
| 2023 | 71.7 | 27.9 | 99.6 |
| 2022 | 65.7 | 24.1 | 89.8 |
| 2021 | 60.8 | 23.3 | 84.1 |
| 2020 | 62.7 | 23.1 | 85.8 |
| 2019 | 60.2 | 21.5 | 81.7 |
| 2018 | 59.4 | 22.1 | 81.5 |
| 2017 | 54.6 | 18.4 | 73.0 |
The combined total has risen nearly 50 percent since fiscal 2017, in nominal dollars. The fiscal 2025 dip, from $106.3 billion to $101.1 billion, came in a year when most of the government, including the Pentagon, operated under a full-year continuing resolution.
What each program pays for
The National Intelligence Program, overseen by the director of national intelligence, “funds strategic intelligence gathering for policymakers” and covers agencies including the CIA and NSA, as well as military agencies such as the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, Breaking Defense noted, citing a 2024 congressional report.
The Military Intelligence Program, overseen by the Pentagon, “funds defense intelligence activities intended to support operational and tactical level intelligence priorities supporting defense operations,” according to the same report. That includes the intelligence arms of the military services.
Neither figure captures all U.S. intelligence spending. The congressional report notes that some “intelligence-gathering entities that support a department-specific mission” use departmental funds outside both programs, and that some platforms, such as certain drone programs, fall outside the military program when intelligence is not their primary mission.
Leave a Reply