Trump proposes $1.5 trillion defense budget, banking on $350 billion from reconciliation

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is requesting a $1.5 trillion defense budget for fiscal 2027, broken into a $1.15 trillion base budget request and an additional $350 billion from a forthcoming reconciliation bill, the White House announced today.

If passed, it would mark the first time the base budget defense spending has hit the $1 trillion mark— representing a 28 percent increase from the FY26 base budget, the administration said in a fact sheet. With the addition of reconciliation spending, which will need to be passed by Congress this year, the FY27 budget hits a historic high, representing a 44 percent boost to the defense budget.

“For decades in Washington, Democrats have demanded and received corresponding increases in wasteful and harmful programs for every increase in the Defense Budget,” the White House stated. “This Administration has successfully shifted that paradigm by including a much-needed increase to defense spending in a reconciliation bill passed with only Republican votes – avoiding the traditional spending ratchet.”

The implications are massive for modernization programs, with the base budget and reconciliation covering about $760 billion to buy and develop weapons, including large increases for shipbuilding, Golden Dome-related programs and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program.

Early budget details were first reported Thursday evening by Inside Defense and then confirmed by Breaking Defense. While today marks the official delivery of the budget, the Defense Department is expected to release much more in-depth details on April 21.

In the Pentagon’s base budget, the administration requests about $260 billion for procurement and about $220 billion for research, development, testing and evaluation accounts, an OMB spokesperson confirmed. If passed, the reconciliation bill would add around $280 billion to weapons accounts on top of that sum.

The Golden Dome missile shield would get $17.5 billion in FY27. However, that would be reliant on passing reconciliation, with only $400 million for the program included in the base budget request. That sum would be a slight step down from the $25 billion approved for Golden Dome in the first reconciliation bill, which the administration plans to spend in FY26.  

“The Budget supports development of game-changing space-based missile defense sensors and interceptors, kinetic and non-kinetic missile defeat and defense capabilities, and enabling technologies for a layered, next-generation homeland missile defense system,” the administration said, adding that the program will use “innovative program management and acquisition approaches to prudently employ taxpayer dollars.”

For shipbuilding, the base budget and reconciliation bill will include $65.8 billion for 18 battle force ships and 16 non-battle force ships.

“The 2027 Budget will establish President Trump’s Golden Fleet, including initial funding for the Trump-class battleship and next generation frigates, as well as increasing the capacity of public shipyards and improving overall ship production,” the administration states 

The request “with maintain or increase” procurement of warships, to include Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines, Virginia-class attack submarines, and amphibious ships. It also “supports” the procurement of sealift vessels, cargo replenishment tankers, hospital vessels and other logistics ships. 

In the area of tactical aircraft, the request funds 85 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jets, which includes a total of 38 F-35A conventional takeoff and landing variants, 10 F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing jets, and 37 F-35C carrier variant planes. Only 32 are slated to be paid for through the base budget, with the remaining 53 covered by reconciliation funds.

One of the Pentagon’s “highest funding priorities” is to expand production of 12 critical munitions, the administration states, adding that “These investments will generate expanded capacity in our defense industrial base, providing a foundation for future scalable munitions production.”

While budget materials released today do not spell out program-by-program increases in munitions funding, any bump to munitions accounts could help to definitize previously announced multiyear framework agreements to boost production of weapons like PAC-3 interceptors and Tomahawk cruise missiles.

The FY27 budget request also “dramatically expands” the department’s investments in critical minerals and domestic supply chains, the administration states.

Like the budget itself, the White House does not have the final say on the reconciliation bill, and Congress will have the ability to shape the defense funding in that legislation to meet lawmakers’ priorities.

Sen. Roger Wicker and Rep. Mike Rogers, the heads of the Senate and House armed services committees, expressed support for the budget request, saying in a joint statement that it “provides the resources needed to rebuild American military capability” and confront challenges from adversaries such as China and Iran.

“These funds will drive the U.S. toward a defense budget of 5 percent of GDP–-a benchmark we have long supported as necessary to maintain our national defense,” they said. “President Trump is also sending a clear signal for our allies and partners to build on recent progress and meet this benchmark alongside us.”

UPDATED 04/03/2026 at 10:00am ET with additional details to reflect the official budget release.