National Defense Expenditure · Full chronicle and history

U.S. President Trump announced a $6.6 billion investment plan to build a new defense shipyard in Maryland to expand submarine production.

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te stated that next year's overall defense budget will exceed NT$1 trillion for the first time, reaching NT$1.1225 trillion, continuing to exceed 3% of GDP.

The U.S. House passed the FY2027 National Defense Authorization Act by a vote of 216 to 212. The bill's total sets a record and provides a policy blueprint for next year's military spending.

President Trump said at a press conference at the NATO summit that NATO member states have made significant progress in raising defense spending to 5% of GDP and are once again respecting the United States.

At a press conference following the Ankara summit, Trump praised NATO's unity and stated that progress has been made toward the alliance members' shared goal of increasing annual defense spending to 5% of GDP.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has announced a series of multi-billion dollar new defense deals aimed at strengthening the military capabilities of allies and persuading member states to increase defense spending.

On the evening of July 2 Eastern Time, Trump posted on Truth Social, criticizing NATO relations as unequal and saying that the United States' one‑sided contribution to NATO is absurd.

At a press conference, Trump stated that NATO member states have agreed to increase defense spending from 2% to 5% of GDP at the annual defense meeting. He attributed this to his efforts and noted that some countries are actively following suit.

At a press conference, Trump stated that the United States has invested 19.2 trillion in national defense over the past year, far exceeding the 1 trillion from the previous administration. He indicated that these investments will be used to build factories and produce the best equipment.

Trump explained at a press conference that the reason he is not taking the new Air Force One is that the aircraft needs to first go to a base in Europe for display, allowing military personnel to view it, before returning for normal operations.

During the NATO summit, NATO Secretary General Rutte announced billions of dollars in deals for new weapons and other military systems in response to US President Trump's demands for increased defense spending and burden-sharing, while attempting to translate funding into actual military capabilities.

On June 24, Trump stated at a White House meeting with NATO Secretary General Rutte that NATO countries had failed the US in responding to joint US-Iran military operations and allowing the use of military bases.

China has announced 2026 national defense spending of 1.94 trillion yuan, an increase of 6.9% over the previous year.