Trump asks for more drones and missiles, but fewer F-35s in the $893 billion defense budget proposal
Kyiv • UNN
Donald Trump has proposed changes to the US defense budget for 2026, totaling $892.6 billion, focusing on high-tech missiles and drones. This includes a pay raise for service members, but a reduction in the purchase of ships and fighter jets.
U.S. President Donald Trump has proposed changes to the 2026 fiscal year defense budget, totaling $892.6 billion. Although the funding level remains the same as the current year, the administration plans to revise priorities: more funds are planned to be spent on high-tech missiles and drones, and less on ships and fighters. This is reported by Reuters, reports UNN.
Details
Trump wants to include in next year's defense budget an increase in salaries for military personnel, an increase in the number of high-tech missiles and drones, while reducing jobs in the Navy and buying fewer ships and fighters to save money - the publication writes, according to budget materials published on Wednesday.
In particular, the budget provides for a 3.8% increase in salaries for military personnel, investments in new ammunition and unmanned technologies, as well as a reduction in the number of civilian personnel in the Navy by 7,286 people. At the same time, Trump is reducing the purchase of new equipment: only 47 F-35 fighters manufactured by Lockheed Martin, compared to 68 planned by Joe Biden for 2025. For comparison, the House of Representatives has already supported the purchase of 69 F-35 aircraft in 2026.
The budget also includes a request for only three warships, including a Virginia-class submarine manufactured by General Dynamics and Huntington Ingalls Industries.
Another 15 ships may be added to a separate appropriations bill
The funding will be used to deter Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific region and revive the defense industrial base, the administration said in a statement.
Special attention will be paid to drones and modern weapons.
The budget strengthens the purchase of small drones, drawing conclusions from the war in Ukraine, where drones have become "inexpensive but very effective combat tools"
Investment is also growing in joint long-range air-to-surface anti-ship missiles that can provide effectiveness in the Pacific theater.
At the same time, the budget reduces the purchase of high-precision strike missiles that would replace Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS), which are actively used in Ukraine. All three main types of missiles are manufactured by Lockheed Martin.
It is noteworthy that most of the costs for Trump's ambitious missile defense shield called "Golden Dome" are submitted separately and are not included in this budget request. Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has already included initial funding - $25 billion for this project as part of a large defense package under the conditional name "One Big Beautiful Bill" worth $150 billion.
Overall, defense spending continues to account for about half of the U.S. discretionary budget, while the other half covers spending on education, transportation, diplomacy, and other areas.