Will the military spend $1.5 Trillion in FY 2027?

 This came out in January but I didn't notice, and I think it is newsworthy.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday suggested that his administration will request $1.5 trillion in military spending for fiscal 2027. That request would be a record high by far, exceeding recent annual defense budgets by hundreds of billions of dollars. “After long and difficult negotiations with Senators, Congressmen, Secretaries, and other Political Representatives, I have determined that, for the Good of our Country, especially in these very troubled and dangerous times, our Military Budget for the year 2027 should not be $1 Trillion Dollars, but rather $1.5 Trillion Dollars. This will allow us to build the ‘Dream Military’ that we have long been entitled to and, more importantly, that will keep us SAFE and SECURE, regardless of foe,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.   https://defensescoop.com/2026/01/07/trump-calls-for-1-5-trillion-defense-budget-2027/

Here is an Op-Ed by Mike Pence, former VP:  While America remains the leader of the free world and the arsenal of democracy, the international framework of free nations built after World War II is under its greatest strain in generations. Russia is waging a brutal war of conquest in Europe, shattering borders by force and daring the West to respond. China is intensifying its military pressure on Taiwan, conducting large-scale exercises that simulate encirclement and invasion. Iran, weakened but still deadly like a wounded predator, is threatening to exact revenge on America and Israel. The United States must meet these challenges with strength and resolve. President Donald Trump’s proposal to raise America’s defense budget to $1.5 trillion is an absolute necessity in a world that has grown more violent and more dangerous in recent years. At a moment when authoritarian regimes are probing for weakness, the United States must ensure that its armed forces remain unquestionably capable of deterring aggression — and, if deterrence fails, of winning decisively.  Read more at: https://www.stripes.com/opinion/2026-02-01/america-needs-trump-defense-budget-20595728.html

The president recently announced his desire for a $1.5 trillion defense budget in fiscal year 2027, which would represent a substantial increase of $600 billion over current figures. As large a sum as that is, it is money the department could realistically use to address shortfalls in modernization and readiness. See also https://www.aei.org/op-eds/to-finance-the-1-5t-defense-budget-push-for-600b-in-reconciliation/

Meanwhile, it looks like a full-blown war has just started with Iran.  So Trump, the supposed peace-lover, may get his wish.   And of course a $600 billion increase in spending will blow up projections of future spending, so there is no point in projecting anything until we figure out if this is actually happening.