Department of Defense(DOD)
Cabinet department responsible for military forces, national defense operations, defense acquisition, logistics, research, and military health.
Function
Cabinet department
Parent
Top-level (no parent)
FY2026 Budget Authority
$2098.73B
Official Data
USAspending.govEvidence & Review
Evidence Confidence
MediumVerification Status
AI-researched, unverifiedLast Reviewed
Jul 5, 2026
Retrieved On
Jul 5, 2026
Effectiveness Baseline
GAO keeps defense weapons acquisition, DOD business systems, and financial management on high-risk or recurring oversight tracks; USAspending reports top-tier obligations above every other discretionary agency.
Efficiency Opportunities
Audit-ready financial data, portfolio-level weapons acquisition discipline, software acquisition reform, joint logistics visibility, and cancellation rules for programs missing test and cost gates.
Effectiveness Opportunities
Measure readiness, survivability, cyber resilience, munitions depth, repair-cycle speed, and operational availability, not only dollars obligated.