Hegseth said the budget prioritizes nuclear deterrence, with $71 billion allocated to nuclear forces and supporting systems. “[This budget] invests in it — $71 billion in our nuclear triad and [nuclear command, control and communications], understanding that if you get that wrong, you get everything else wrong,” he told lawmakers.
He cited Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons as a key reason for maintaining a strong U.S. deterrent. “Imagine what the situation in the region would look like if Iran also wielded a nuclear weapon — and the limits it would put on our capabilities in those situations,” Hegseth said.
“Our adversaries have to deal with that dilemma because of the strength of our nuclear triad — so that $71 billion investment, the [direct reporting program managers] that have been put over top of it to move those systems left … it’s just been a priority since we came into the building, and we’re funding it accordingly,” he added. The fiscal plan under Donald J. Trump allocates $71.4 billion across all three legs of the nuclear triad.
In the air domain, the proposal includes $6.1 billion for the B-21 Raider stealth bomber, designed to deliver both conventional and nuclear payloads. The U.S. Air Force plans to procure at least 100 of the aircraft, which was first unveiled in 2023 and is expected to be central to the air-based leg of the triad.
The budget also designates $4.6 billion for the Sentinel Ground Based Strategic Deterrent program, which will replace the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile system. The program includes 400 deployed missiles and 450 silos across the United States, alongside infrastructure upgrades in multiple states.
Approximately $1.5 billion is allocated for the Long Range Stand-Off Weapon, intended to replace the AGM-86B air-launched cruise missile. These investments aim to sustain and enhance the land- and air-based components of U.S. nuclear capabilities.
For the sea-based leg, $16.2 billion is proposed for the Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine program, which will replace the Ohio-class fleet. The budget includes procurement of a fourth submarine and continued development of the third vessel, the USS Groton, alongside funding for research, testing, and industrial support.
Hegseth emphasized the importance of strengthening the broader defense industrial base to support these efforts. “A nation’s ability to build, to innovate and to support critical needs of its warfighters at speed and at scale is the foundation upon which its deterrence and survival rests,” he said.
He added that the industrial base had faced years of neglect but is now being reinforced. “Under the leadership of President Trump, our builder-in-chief, we are reversing this systemic decay and putting our defense industrial base back on a wartime footing,” Hegseth said.
Source: U.S. Department of War.
