Here’s what the Pentagon plans to do with its ‘historic’ budget increase

US President Donald Trump’s budget proposal is in, and it calls for a “historic” $54 billion increase in defense spending, and an additional $30 billion in Overseas Contingency Operations spending this year.

“This is a hard power budget, it is not a soft power budget,” Mick Mulvaney told reporters at a Wednesday briefing. “And that was done intentionally. That’s what our allies can expect. That’s what our adversaries can expect.”

So what does Trump want to spend the additional $84 billion on?

The Army wants $8.3 billion, which includes $871 million for increasing readiness, $1.3 billion for “enhanced and more realistic training,” $2.8 billion to restore and modernize equipment in aviation, armor, drones, and air and missile defense systems, and another $1.2 billion for US combat commanders to fight ISIS.

Additionally, more than $2 billion will go to addressing shortfalls, infrastructure readiness, and ammunition.

The Navy wants $8.3 billion to “drive rapid improvements in ship, aviation, and shore readiness.”

This includes buying 24 F/A-18E/F Super Hornet strike fighters, increasing maintenance and spare parts, and adding 14,000 flight hours. The funding will also go towards increasing ship operations, information warfare, modernizing infrastructure, and providing services to sailors’ families.

 

Read the whole story from Business Insider.

Featured image courtesy of the U.S. Air National Guard.