US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has instructed top Pentagon officials and military commanders to develop plans for cutting the defense budget by 8% each year for five years, under a memo seen by The Washington Post.
Tuesday-dated memo institutes a February 24 deadline to submit proposed cutbacks and designates 17 exempted areas, such as operations along the southern US border, modernization of nuclear weapons, missile defense, and the purchases of attack drones and ammunition. If enacted completely, the reduction could total tens of billions annually.
Hegseth’s order prioritizes appropriations for certain regional commands, including Indo-Pacific Command, Northern Command, and Space Command. But European Command, which has been instrumental in US policy in Ukraine’s war, is not on the list. Central Command, in charge of Middle East operations, and Africa Command, which has oversight of US troop deployments on the continent, also are omitted.
“President Trump’s directive to the Department of Defense is clear: peace through strength,” Hegseth wrote, emphasizing the need to restore the US military. He also laid out objectives to “revive the warrior ethos,” cut wasteful spending, reduce bureaucracy, and spur defense reforms, including movement on the department’s long-overdue audit.
The planned reductions mark a big departure from Trump’s defense policy, prioritizing military effectiveness while reducing expenditures in some sectors. The order has already provoked controversy inside the defense establishment, with detractors expressing concerns over possible effects on international military preparedness.