Chicago – April 21, 2026
President Donald Trump’s proposed $1.5 trillion defense budget would devote $750 billion to ships, jets and the new Golden Dome missile shield, according to details unveiled by the Pentagon on Tuesday. The plan marks the largest year-over-year increase in U.S. defense spending since World War II, Reuters reported.
The budget includes more than $65 billion for shipbuilding, covering 18 warships and 16 support ships under what officials call the “Golden Fleet” initiative. It also ramps up F-35 procurement to 85 aircraft a year and requests $102 billion for aircraft procurement and research and development, Reuters said.
The Pentagon also created a new “presidential priorities” category for Golden Dome, drone dominance, artificial intelligence, data infrastructure and the defense industrial base. Reuters reported that the proposal would expand spending on autonomous systems and munitions while continuing Trump’s push to rebuild U.S. military capacity.
The request now moves to Congress, where lawmakers will decide whether to approve the record-setting package.
