US President Donald Trump. (file photo)
In America, President Donald Trump has presented a mega defense budget plan of $ 1.5 trillion for the financial year 2027. The Pentagon has released the details of this proposal, which is considered to be the largest annual increase since the Second World War. This time the Pentagon has created a new category called Presidential Priorities. This includes Golden Dome Missile Defense System, Drone Dominance, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Data Infrastructure and Defense Industrial Base.
There is a big focus on shipbuilding. More than $65 billion has been allocated in the budget for 18 warships and 16 support ships. This is part of the Golden Fleet Initiative and is considered to be the largest order since 1962. The purchase of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fighter jets for the Air Force has been increased to 85 per year. $102 billion has been earmarked for aircraft procurement and research and development (R&D), which is 26% more than last year. There is also emphasis on next generation systems like Boeing’s F-47 and Northrop Grumman’s B-21 bomber.
There will be record expenditure on drones
This is said to be the biggest investment so far in the drone sector. A demand has been made for $53.6 billion for autonomous drone platforms and logistics and $21 billion for anti-drone technology and advanced systems. The funding of the Defense Autonomous Warfare Group has been increased from $225 million to approximately $54 billion. The focus will be on implementation of existing technology rather than long-term research.
There is also a plan for military recruitment
Salary hike for soldiers is also included. Junior soldiers will get 7% increase, mid-level will get 6% and top rank will get 5% increase. There is also a plan to recruit 44,000 new soldiers in 2027. However, this budget does not include any funding for the ongoing conflict with Iran. Supplementary budget can be brought for this later. The total budget is divided into two parts, first is the base budget of 1.15 trillion dollars and an extra package of 350 billion dollars, for which a reconciliation bill will be required to pass.
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