Pentagon releases $29.8 billion cost of secret military intelligence budget

The U.S. Department of Defense said Thursday the budget for the Military Intelligence Program was $29.8 billion for fiscal year 2024.

That's a nearly 7% increase over last year's top line budget, which was $27.9 billion for fiscal year 2023. That's up from the $24.1 billion appropriated top line budget for fiscal year 2022. That figure has increased every year since fiscal year 2019, when it was $21.5 billion.

The Department of Defense said the appropriated top line budget for fiscal year 2024 was "aligned to support the National Defense Strategy."

"The Department determined that releasing this top line figure does not jeopardize any classified activities within the MIP," it said. "No other MIP budget figures or program details will be released, as they remain classified for national security reasons."

The Military Intelligence Program is one of the two parts of the U.S. intelligence budget. The larger National Intelligence Program includes "all programs, projects and activities of the intelligence community and any other intelligence community programs designated jointly by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence or the DNI and the President."

Congress appropriated $76.5 billion to the National Intelligence Program for fiscal year 2024. That includes supplemental funding. The Director of National Intelligence disclosed the amount Thursday.

"Beyond the disclosure of the NIP top-line figure, there will be no other disclosures of currently classified NIP budget information," it said. "The only exceptions to the foregoing are for unclassified appropriations."

The NIP budget increased nearly 7% from $71.7 billion in fiscal year 2023.

The Military Intelligence Program is for intelligence activity done by the military departments and agencies in the Department of Defense that support tactical U.S. military operations, according to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

The Military Intelligence Program budget request was first released in February 2012.