In early April, the Trump administration proposed an increase in defense spending to $1.5 trillion for 2027. This was the largest such request in decades and would mark a 44% increase for the Pentagon. At first glance, it would be easy to connect this request to the Iran war. However, the administration floated its desire for a larger defense budget before the conflict began.
The reason is practical as well as strategic: The current military infrastructure is not well-suited for the nature of future warfare—or at least not as well-suited as it could be. Preparing it will require more investment in next-generation shipbuilding as well as in autonomous defense solutions.
