The Trump administration has requested approximately $1.5 trillion for defense in its fiscal year 2027 budget proposal, marking the highest military spending request in modern US history, CNN reported.
The budget request represents a more than 40 percent increase in defense spending compared to the previous year. According to Reuters, this would be the largest year-on-year surge in US military expenditure since the post-war period.
White House officials said the increased funding is necessary to replenish critical ammunition stockpiles, expand shipbuilding, and launch several high-cost defense programs. Key priorities include the Golden Dome missile defense system, the modernization of the defense-industrial base, and a 5 to 7 percent pay rise for service members to improve recruitment and retention.
To offset the military surge, the Trump administration has proposed cutting non-defense discretionary spending by 10 percent, or $73 billion. According to Reuters, these cuts would impact housing programs, healthcare, and environmental and social initiatives that the administration has labeled as “woke” or inefficient. The White House has also proposed a significant reduction in NASA’s budget.
The record defense request comes as the US remains embroiled in a widening conflict with Iran. Despite Trump’s previous assertions that the war would conclude within weeks, the budget signal suggests a long-term commitment of resources toward military objectives.
The ongoing war, which erupted on Feb. 28 with US-Israeli strikes that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, has already roiled the global economy. On Wednesday, Trump stated that the US-Israeli campaign was “almost complete” but warned that Iran would be “hit hard” over the next two to three weeks.
The military situation remains volatile following the first confirmed downing of a US F-15 fighter jet inside Iran on Friday, April 3. While US special forces reportedly rescued one of the two crew members, a high-risk search and rescue mission continues for the second. Iran also claimed to have downed a US A-10 ground-attack aircraft in the Gulf.
The presidential budget request serves as a political marker for Congress, which holds the final authority over funding. Democrats have already sharply criticized the proposed cuts to domestic programs, setting the stage for intense negotiations on Capitol Hill.