The Trump administration has requested a record-breaking $1.5 trillion defense-spending plan for fiscal year (FY) 2027, but within that big ticket request, Pentagon research and development (R&D) efforts funding would decline.
On Friday, the White House sent Congress a $1.5 trillion FY 2027 defense budget request, a $445 billion, or 44%, increase over the previous year’s funding level. Of the total, $1.1 trillion is designated for base discretionary budget authority for the Department of Defense (DOD), which the administration has rebranded as the Department of War. The request also includes $350 billion in mandatory reconciliation funds.
In the coming weeks, the Pentagon is expected to release detailed budget justification documents outlining how the funding would be allocated across programs.
Initial budget documents indicate that the Department of the Navy would receive the largest share of requested spending at $150 billion, encompassing $126 billion in the base request and $24 billion in reconciliation funds.
The Department of the Air Force – which includes both the Air Force and Space Force – would receive $101.2 billion, with $83.4 billion in the request and $17.6 billion in reconciliation.
The Army would receive $60.5 billion, including $36 billion in the request and $24 billion in reconciliation.
Despite the overall increase, the White House’s proposal outlines significant reductions in R&D accounts across multiple branches.
For instance, funding for basic research would fall by more than $3 billion from the current appropriated level. Most of that reduction, about $2.6 billion, would affect the Space Force. Additional cuts would impact the Army by $173 million, the Navy by $64 million, the Air Force by $44 million, and the department-wide account by $202 million.
Funding for advanced technology development would drop by approximately $2 billion. The Army would account for about $1.1 billion of that decrease, while the Navy would lose $443 million, the Air Force $46 million, the Space Force $160 million, and the department-wide account $261 million.
Applied research funding would decline by about $1.9 billion. The Army would see the largest reduction at $1.3 billion, followed by the Navy at $529 million, and the Air Force at $150 million. However, the department-wide account would increase by nearly $600 million, and the Space Force would receive a $56 million boost.
Some software and digital technology pilot programs would see mixed changes. The Army would receive a $40 million increase, and the Space Force would gain $391 million. The Navy would face a $2 million cut, while the department-wide account would decrease by $602 million. The proposal does not specify funding for the Air Force in this category.
The budget request also calls for terminating all nonessential information technology service contracts and consulting services.