The Chilean Armed Forces will have a budget of US$2.252 billion in 2023

The Chilean Congress approved for the year 2023 a consolidated budget estimated at US$2.252 billion for the Chilean Armed Forces and its related organizations. This figure represents an increase of 0.5% compared to 2022.

The 2023 budget that the Ministry of National Defense will receive corresponds to one of continuity since there are no significant variations for the basic operation of the sector with respect to the current year.

These resources, both in pesos and dollars, represent the ordinary budget of the Armed Forces and related organizations that allow the financing of annual general expenses such as salaries, consumer goods and all those services that allow their operation.

OPERATING EXPENSES

The item considers financing for the minimum operating levels required by the Armed Forces. This translates into staff training days, sailing days for Chilean Navy units, and flight hours for the three institutions. Regarding its distribution, 73.6% of the amount will go to personnel expenses.

The budget does not contemplate the resources for deployments of the State of Constitutional Exception since they correspond to extraordinary expenses requested from the Budget Directorate and the investments classified as Strategic Defense Capabilities that are financed with the remaining resources of the Reserved Copper Law and those of Law No. 21,174.

Likewise, it does not include amounts for projects related to Cyberdefense, which are paid for through Law No. 21,174 and the execution of Decree No. 265 of 2019 regarding the collaboration of the Ministry of National Defense for the deployment of air, land or maritime to provide logistical, transport and technological support in border areas.

ARMED FORCES AND OTHER AGENCIES

Regarding the Defense program line, made up of the Armed Forces, administrative support agencies and others, the 2023 budget allocates US$1.654 billion dollars, which represents a variation of -0.3% compared to 2022.

According to these figures, the Chilean Army will receive a consolidated item of US$732 million, increasing by 0.2% in relation to 2022, the Chilean Navy will have US$541 million, reducing its resources by 0.7% and the Air Force of Chile (FACh) will have US$342 million, reducing its budget by 0.6% compared to this year.

The Undersecretary for the Armed Forces will have US$15.4 million (+ 0.7%) while the Undersecretary for Defense will have US$4.9 million (+ 4.6%), the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Emco) will have US$7 .9 million (-18.1%), the General Directorate of National Mobilization (DGMN) will receive US$8.8 million (+ 2.7%) and the National Academy of Political and Strategic Studies (Anepe) will have US$1.2 million not experiencing variation.

MILITARY INDUSTRY AND HEALTH ORGANIZATIONS

The Military Industry entities of the Armed Forces will have US$22 million (+ 5.9%). Of this figure, the Military Geographic Institute (IGM) will have US$5.3 million (+ 4.9%), the Navy Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service (SHOA) will have US$7.7 million (+ 6.7%) and the FACh’s Aerophotogrammetric Service (SAF) will receive US$2.8 million (+ 8.8%).

Regarding Other Dependent Organizations, these will have an item of US$368 million (+ 5.0%). The General Directorate of Maritime Territory and Merchant Marine (Directemar) will receive a budget of US$87 million (+ 4.6%) and the General Directorate of Civil Aeronautics (DGAC) will have US$281 million (+ 5.2%).

The 2023 budget assigns an estimated amount of US$204 million to the Defense Health Organizations and will not change in relation to fiscal year 2022. The Army Health Organizations will have US$82 million, the Navy Health Department will have US$79 million and the Health Organizations of the FACh will have US$43 million.

With information from Infodefensa