Defense

5 things to know about Trump’s 2027 defense budget proposal

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by Sarah Davis - 04/03/26 1:14 PM ET

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by Sarah Davis - 04/03/26 1:14 PM ET

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President Trump released his budget request for fiscal 2027 on Friday morning, including a whopping $1.5 trillion ask for the Pentagon.

This year’s defense budget request is a $441 billion increase from the $1 trillion approved by Congress last year.

The request includes $1.1 trillion in “base discretionary” spending and $350 billion for “critical Administration priorities,” including expanding the defense industrial base and munitions access. The second piece would be passed through budget reconciliation, meaning it would rely entirely on GOP support.

To offset some of the increase in military spending, the White House is proposing a $73 billion reduction in nondefense spending in its budget request.

This request is separate from the Pentagon’s $200 billion supplemental budget request to fund the U.S.’s ongoing military operations against Iran. The defense budget would help replenish weapons stockpiles that have been rapidly depleted in the Middle East.

Here’s what to know about the Pentagon request:

‘Golden Dome’

The White House says its budget would “robustly fund” the “Golden Dome” missile defense system, which draws inspiration from Israel’s Iron Dome.

The project has an estimated cost of $185 billion, up from Trump’s original $125 billion price tag. Congress has already approved $25 billion in funding for this defense initiative.

Additional funding for space programs will support the Golden Dome project, according to the budget proposal.

Space Force General Michael Guetlein told Reuters last month the entire project is set to be completed by 2035, a significant delay from previous projections.

Guetlein said his team was discussing implementing a space data network, the Advanced Missile Tracking Initiative and the Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor.

Trump-class battleships

The president is requesting $65.8 billion in funding for shipbuilding, including initial investments in a new “Golden Fleet” that will include so-called Trump-class battleships.

The funding request aims to procure 18 new battle force ships and 16 nonbattle vessels.

Trump announced the U.S. Navy’s Golden Fleet at the end of last year, declaring the ships would be constructed with all steel, as opposed to aluminum materials used in other military vessels.

The budget would also “maintain or increase the procurement of existing battle force platforms, including amphibious vessels, and Columbia-class and Virginia-class submarines.”

The request aligns with Trump’s promise to strengthen America’s shipbuilding capacity in the face of China’s rising naval power.

Last year, Congress approved a $27.2 billion shipbuilding budget for 2026, a $6.3 billion increase from the previous year.

Mineral acquisition focus

The defense budget proposal also builds upon the Trump administration’s focus on boosting domestic mineral production, another field where China currently has a clear edge.

An executive order signed by Trump in March 2025, titled “Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production,” directs U.S. energy agencies to prioritize the domestic production of critical minerals, including uranium, copper, potash and gold.

The White House’s Friday proposal said the funding would “fix longstanding shortfalls” in the U.S.’s National Defense Stockpile and allow the Pentagon to make “transformative investments in the Nation’s critical minerals industry.”

“These investments would support the creation of American jobs, reduce America’s reliance on foreign mineral production, and secure a predictable, affordable supply of minerals integral to the next generation of defense technology,” the administration said in the budget proposal.

Pay raise for troops

The White House budget proposes raising the salaries of Pentagon service members based on their military rank.

This would include a 7 percent wage increase for military personnel with a rank of E-5 and below, a + percent increase for service members with a ranking between E-6 and O-3 and a 5 percent increase for personnel who rank above O-4.

In February, Congress approved a 3.8 percent raise in basic pay for all service members, including an additional 10 percent pay rise for junior enlisted troops.

Basic pay is the primary source of income for military troops. Service members can also receive special pay in accordance with their rank and qualifications.

Recruitment has been a major challenge across the armed services, though last year saw the strongest recruiting figures in more than a decade.

National Guard

The budget prop