On Wednesday, President Trump announced the details of the defense budget for the fiscal year 2026, which includes raises for military personnel, strengthening deployment of high-tech missiles and drones, reducing the number of civilian personnel in the Navy, and cutting back on the procurement of ships and aircraft to control expenses.
The total defense budget for the fiscal year 2026 under the Trump administration amounts to $892.6 billion, remaining consistent with the current year’s budget. The White House stated that this budget will be used to deter Communist China’s “aggressive actions in the Indo-Pacific region” and to rebuild the foundation of America’s defense industry.
In this year’s budget proposal, the Trump administration plans substantial cuts in the procurement of traditional weaponry. The number of F-35 fighter jets to be procured has been reduced from 68 proposed by the Biden administration for the 2025 fiscal year to 47. Only 3 new warships have been included, while the procurement of 15 others, including Virginia-class submarines, will be handled through special funding.
The Pentagon has indicated that it will prioritize investments in the “Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile – Extended Range” (JASSM-ER) and the “Long Range Anti-Ship Missile” (LRASM) to enhance combat capabilities in the Pacific region against regional threats due to their extended ranges.
The Trump administration also plans to reduce the procurement of the “Precision Strike Missile” (PrSM), which was originally intended to replace the ATACMS tactical missiles deployed by the U.S. military in Ukraine. Conversely, there will be a significant increase in the budget allocation for small unmanned aerial vehicles. The White House highlighted that this decision is based on lessons learned from the Ukraine conflict, emphasizing that drones can deliver high performance at low cost, making them an essential component on modern battlefields.
The proposed “Golden Dome” missile defense plan by Trump has not been included in this total budget proposal. The White House stated that the main funds for this system will be proposed separately and have already been included in the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” currently under congressional review.
The “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” is a massive budget reconciliation bill encompassing tax cuts, increased border spending, the elimination of green energy subsidies, among other provisions. It includes an additional $150 billion in funding for the defense sector, aiming to strengthen military spending, with a preliminary plan to provide $25 billion for the “Golden Dome.”
Despite the 3.8% increase in military pay in this year’s budget, the Trump administration has also proposed cost-saving measures, such as retiring old warships and aircraft and reducing 7,286 civilian personnel in the Navy.
This approach reflects the Trump administration’s efforts to enhance active troops’ benefits while streamlining logistics and support manpower expenditures to maintain the overall budget size.
While the Trump administration has reduced the procurement of F-35s to 47, this decision has sparked controversy in Congress. The House Appropriations Committee’s Defense Subcommittee proposed in its draft to increase the number of F-35s to be procured in the 2026 fiscal year to 69, surpassing both Trump’s proposal and the 68 originally suggested by the Biden administration for 2025. This issue could become a key focus of debate in Congress in the coming days.
Defense budgets typically account for half of the U.S. government’s discretionary budget, with the remaining portion allocated to transportation, education, foreign affairs, and other departments.