WORLD NEWS FOR MONTENEGRO DIASPORA
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AUTHOR:M.J. GDNUS
In his budget for next year, President Donald Trump is seeking higher military pay, more high-tech missiles and drones, while also planning to cut Navy jobs and buy fewer ships and fighter jets to save money, according to budget documents released last night.
The budget request is $892.6 billion, roughly the same as this year.
The budget, which also includes nuclear weapons-related activities by the Department of Energy and increased funding for homeland security, shows Trump's priority for the military - shifting resources away from traditional weapons and services toward what he considers essential.
The White House said the budget will serve to deter Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific and to strengthen the US defense industry.
Most of the funding for Trump’s “Golden Dome” defense shield project is included in a separate budget request and is not part of this latest proposal to Congress.
In the 2026 budget, Trump is asking for fewer F-35 fighter jets made by Lockheed Martin and just three warships. The purchase of Virginia-class submarines, made by General Dynamics and Huntington Ingalls, and 15 other ships are expected through a separate appropriations bill, the Navy said.
The budget calls for a 3.8% pay increase for soldiers, but also plans to cut costs by retiring older weapons, including ships and aircraft that are more expensive to operate. Under the plan, the Navy would cut 7,286 civilian jobs.
By comparison, Joe Biden’s budget from his final year in office called for 68 F-35s for fiscal year 2025, while Trump is now asking for just 47 of those planes for 2026.
The budget is already causing debate in Congress, where the House Defense Committee’s 2026 budget bill calls for 69 F-35s—one more than Biden’s previous request.
The Pentagon continues to prioritize the acquisition of munitions and key weapons systems.
The Air Force is continuing to invest in long-range missiles, such as the Joint Air to Surface Standoff Missile – Extended Range and the Long Range Anti-Ship Missile, which have longer ranges and are considered more effective in the Pacific region.
On the other hand, the budget calls for a significantly smaller number of Precision Strike Missiles to replace the Army Tactical Missile (ATACM) used in Ukraine. All three types of missiles are manufactured by Lockheed Martin.
The budget also increases investment in small drones, partly because of lessons learned in Ukraine, where unmanned aerial vehicles have proven to be a key part of modern, yet relatively inexpensive, warfare.
The detailed budget request comes as Republicans debate priorities for a $150 billion defense spending package known as the “One Big, Beautiful Package Act.” The bill has already passed the House of Representatives and includes an initial $25 billion for Trump’s controversial “Golden Dome” defense shield.
Defense spending typically makes up about half of the U.S. discretionary budget; the rest goes to transportation, education, diplomacy and other sectors.
