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Trump requests $1.5 trillion for defence budget: Ships, B-21 bomber and more
President Donald Trump seeks a $1.5 trillion defense budget for fiscal year 2027, emphasizing priorities like shipbuilding, drones, AI, and data infrastructure. The article also notes a prior 2026 package that pushed defense spending past the $1 trillion mark for the first time in U.S. history, and outlines major investments across ships, aircraft, and autonomous weapons.
Why It Matters
The proposed budget signals a major expansion of U.S. defense capabilities and priorities, with wide implications for contractors, military readiness, and regional security dynamics.
Timeline
10 Events
Absence of funding for Iran conflict amid ceasefire
April 22, 2026
A notable feature of the budget request is the absence of funding for the ongoing Iran conflict, which is under a ceasefire that is nearing the two-month mark.
Pay raises and troop growth planned
April 22, 2026
The request includes pay raises for personnel: 7% for junior enlisted troops, 6% for mid-level ranks, and 5% for senior officers, along with plans to add 44,000 new members in the coming year (versus over 20,000 last year).
Multi-year munition procurement contracts for stability
April 22, 2026
The budget includes multi-year procurement contracts for additional munition programs to provide stability for major defense contractors and suppliers and enable scaling of production.
Defense Autonomous Warfare Group funding surges to $54B
April 22, 2026
The Defense Autonomous Warfare Group's funding is set to jump from $225 million last year to $54 billion this year, with most funds directed at deploying existing technologies rather than long-term basic research.
Largest drone warfare investment: $53.6B for drones and $21B for munitions
April 22, 2026
The budget marks the largest-ever investment to enhance drone warfare and counter-drone technology, with $53.6 billion for autonomous drone platforms and warzone logistics and another $21 billion for munitions, counter-drone technologies, and advanced systems.
Next-generation systems: F-47 and B-21 bomber funding
April 22, 2026
Officials indicate prioritization of next-generation systems, including the Boeing F-47 fighter jet, with a $6.1 billion allocation for the B-21 bomber manufactured by Northrop Grumman.
Aerial defense: 85 F-35s/year and $102B for aircraft
April 22, 2026
The request includes ramping up aerial defence with plans to procure 85 Lockheed Martin F-35 aircraft per year and $102 billion for aircraft procurement and R&D, a 26% increase from the previous year.
Golden Fleet shipbuilding allocation exceeds $65B
April 22, 2026
More than $65 billion in the budget is allocated to the Pentagon's 'Golden Fleet' shipbuilding initiative, including plans to procure 18 warships and 16 support ships produced by General Dynamics and Huntington Ingalls Industries; funding is the highest shipbuilding allocation since 1962.
FY2027 defense budget request totals $1.5 trillion
April 22, 2026
Trump's request for fiscal year 2027 defense budget amounts to $1.5 trillion, including spending on 'presidential priorities' such as the Golden Dome missile defense, drone dominance, AI and data infrastructure, and the defense industrial base.
2026 defense budget crosses $1 trillion after initial request and supplementary
2026
In 2026, Trump requested Congress a national defense budget of $892.6 billion and added a $150 billion supplementary request, pushing the total defense budget to about $1 trillion—the first time the figure crossed that threshold.