Source: Fortune
Summary
President Trump’s $1.5 trillion Pentagon budget request for the upcoming fiscal year represents the biggest increase in generations, seeking to transform the industry, according to JPMorgan analysts. The proposal includes a 44% increase in fiscal year 2027, with a 77% jump in investments, and aims to remake the US defense industrial base. The budget prioritizes advanced technologies and “exquisite” weapons, despite lessons from Ukraine’s success with low-cost drones. The Pentagon’s commitment to acquiring cutting-edge weapons has added more “exquisite” systems, like a new class of battleship and space-based missile interceptors.
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The numbers tell one story.
The Trump administration is seeking to remake the US defense industrial base with a massive budget increase. JPMorgan notes that the proposed increase would be the biggest single year increase since 1951. The Pentagon’s commitment to “exquisite” weapons continues, despite the effectiveness of low-cost drones in Ukraine and Iran. The US is drawn to both high-end and low-cost capabilities, but the economics of warfare are shifting. The future of warfare is being shaped by Ukraine’s mass production of inexpensive drones.
It’s not about choosing between high-end and low-cost, it’s about having both.
Author: Evan Null
