Pete Hegseth unveils plans for a $1.5 trillion US defence budget, backing military modernisation, domestic manufacturing and record recruitment under President Trump, reports Asian Lite News Desk
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has said the Trump administration is working with Congress to secure a $1.5 trillion defence budget, describing it as a generational investment aimed at modernising the military, boosting domestic defence manufacturing and strengthening national security.
Speaking during President Donald Trump’s televised Cabinet meeting at Camp David, Hegseth said the administration was pursuing a new approach to defence spending by encouraging private-sector investment alongside government funding.
He said defence companies had already committed $75 billion in private investment to expand manufacturing capacity, including new production plants, equipment and assembly lines for advanced munitions.
According to Hegseth, the strategy would accelerate weapons production while reducing costs to taxpayers, as companies themselves would fund much of the expansion.
The Defence Secretary also credited the administration with improving military recruitment and retention, attributing the gains to changes in Pentagon policies.
Hegseth said the removal of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and a renewed focus on merit, discipline and accountability had helped restore what he described as a “warrior ethos” across the armed forces.
He claimed the military was experiencing record levels of recruitment and re-enlistment, saying increasing numbers of young Americans were choosing to serve under the current administration.
Hegseth also highlighted recent military operations, including actions against Yemen’s Houthi movement, operations targeting Iranian nuclear facilities and efforts to combat drug cartels, describing them as examples of President Trump’s national security agenda.
Trump reaffirmed his commitment to expanding defence spending, telling Cabinet members the administration hoped to secure $1.5 trillion for the military next year.
“We’re also making an unprecedented investment in the United States Armed Forces,” the President said, adding that all major defence equipment would be manufactured domestically.
He said leading US defence contractors were constructing multiple new production facilities to increase manufacturing capacity and accelerate weapons production.
The proposed spending package forms a central part of the administration’s defence strategy, which focuses on military modernisation, expanding the US industrial base and strengthening deterrence against strategic rivals.
If approved by Congress, the $1.5 trillion proposal would rank among the largest defence spending requests in US history.
