Will Trump restructure the US defense budget?

During a discussion at the Reagan Institute Strategy Group (RISG), experts outlined key points that could appear in US defense policy in January 2025, after Donald Trump returns to the White House.

“The military’s base budget in real terms has fallen more than 25 percent over the past four years,” said Ryan McCarthy, the former secretary of the Army under the previous Trump administration. “While mission demands have skyrocketed recently… there is no sign of a slowdown.”

One solution in this situation that the Trump administration could implement would be to “right-size” combatant command forces, to better balance supply and demand.

Next, the US military can increase recruitment and retention to match its new missions. Restoring faith in military service and attracting the next generation of service members will require sustained leadership from the top.

Third, shipbuilding is one of the few areas where the US defense budget has increased spending over the past decade. The country’s shipbuilding budget request for 2025 is $32.4 billion—double the 2015 request of $12.4 billion. However, only eight new ships are planned for fiscal year 2015, and nine for 2025.

The Navy is stuck in a shipbuilding “loop,” where the number of ships retired continues to outpace the number of new ones built, shrinking the fleet. McCarthy stressed that, in addition to eliminating the sector due to inefficiencies, without new funding to reverse the current situation, the Navy will need to sacrifice other modernization programs.

In addition, as the Air Force struggles to balance nuclear modernization with conventional missions, officials are backing the new administration to speed up the retirement of costly older aircraft.

While the idea has merit, it is important that the next administration ensure that these cuts become funding for new aircraft purchasing programs.

There is still debate about reusing old systems - as the US Navy recently modified the AIM-174B missile, extending the range of the Super Hornet aircraft, applying the system to new missions and larger targets.

The expert also mentioned the US Department of Defense ’s “fourth estate” fund for a range of defense agencies and organizations outside the traditional services, with roles and responsibilities ranging from intelligence gathering to sensitive research and missile defense. Mr. McCarthy said that 10 to 15% of this $140 billion could be reallocated by the Trump administration to other services.

Although President Trump's first term saw an increase in defense spending compared to previous projections, many issues remain unresolved. According to experts, Trump's desired military rebuilding was hindered by many factors, and he may now continue to do so.

If President Trump seeks to repair and rebuild the military, budget growth above inflation will be necessary throughout his entire second term.

Phuong Anh (Source: National Interest)

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/ong-trump-se-tai-cau-truc-ngan-sach-quoc-phong-my-ar906594.html