Defense Security Cooperation Agency Fiscal Year Budget Estimate

Key Chapter Title List

1. Security Cooperation Business Description
2. Administrative Support Operations
3. Security Cooperation Data Management
4. Support to Operations
5. Capacity Building
6. Education and Training

Document Overview

This report is the official budget estimate document submitted by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), under the U.S. Department of Defense, for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026. The document systematically elaborates on DSCA's core functions, budget composition, and strategic priorities in coordinating and executing U.S. global security cooperation programs. As the lead agency in the security cooperation field, DSCA works closely with the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy (OUSD(P)), aiming to support U.S. national security, defense strategic guidance, and the shared interests of the United States and partner nations by providing effective, enduring, and timely solutions.

The report details that the budget request will be used to sustain the daily operations of DSCA Headquarters, the Defense Security Cooperation University, the Department of Defense Regional Security Studies Centers, and the Defense Security Cooperation Service. Authorized under Title 10, Chapter 16 of the U.S. Code, this budget will continue to support the assessment, oversight, and evaluation framework for implementing security cooperation activities across the entire Department of Defense, and will advance the workforce development program for all DoD professionals supporting security cooperation efforts. Furthermore, DSCA will continue to execute the Department of State's security sector assistance programs in accordance with the Foreign Assistance Act and the Arms Export Control Act, and manage Humanitarian Assistance, Foreign Disaster Relief, and Humanitarian Demining Operations programs funded by Overseas Humanitarian, Disaster, and Civic Aid appropriations.

In the key area of capacity building, the report highlights several strategically significant special initiatives. Among them, the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative (TSCI) aims to support the Department of Defense in enhancing Taiwan's self-defense capabilities, thereby strengthening deterrence, maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and reducing risks to the U.S. Joint Force. The complementary Taiwan Stock Drawdown Replenishment program focuses on replenishing defense articles transferred to Taiwan from DoD stocks via Presidential Drawdown Authority or TSCI, to safeguard the readiness of the U.S. military Joint Force. Another core program, the International Security Cooperation Program (ISCP), funds activities designed to build the military capabilities of partner forces to address common national security challenges. In line with the Interim National Defense Strategy Guidance for 2025, ISCP activities focus on deterring aggression from China, reducing the flow of illicit goods across the Southwest Border, mitigating risks to forward-deployed U.S. forces, and shifting regional security burdens by enabling allies and partners to assume greater responsibility for their own security.

The report also provides an in-depth introduction to the management and technical systems underpinning the aforementioned activities. The Security Cooperation Data Management program includes the Partner Outreach and Collaboration Support (POCS) platform with its core component GlobalNET, as well as the Socium enterprise-level platform. GlobalNET, as an unclassified security information platform serving over 85,000 users, facilitates collaboration, outreach, and communication among U.S. Regional Security Studies Centers, Combatant Commands, NATO institutions, and partner nations. The Socium platform, as a DoD enterprise-level technical solution, comprehensively supports the planning, budgeting, collaboration, design, management, assessment, oversight, and reporting of all U.S. security cooperation activities, with its unclassified (NIPR) and classified (SIPR) versions deployed in 2020 and 2021, respectively. These systems collectively form the digital foundation for DSCA's implementation of precise and efficient security cooperation programs.

Finally, the document outlines key investments in education and training, particularly the Regional Defense Fellowship Program (RDFP). This program provides strategic and operational education to foreign officers and government security officials to enhance partner nations' capabilities in counterterrorism and irregular warfare. It serves as a vital tool for Combatant Commands in promoting regional and global cooperation in the war against violent extremism and terrorism. In summary, this budget document is not merely a financial plan but also an authoritative policy statement reflecting the U.S. strategic intent and implementation pathways for shaping the security environment, building partner capacity, and addressing great power competition and transnational threats through security cooperation means.