US fighter jet shot down by Iran, one crew member rescued; Iranian Speaker mocks search; Trump wants $1.5 trillion defence budget

US President Donald Trump is asking Congress to boost defence spending to $1.5 trillion, the largest such request in decades and the latest signal of the president’s emphasis on US military investments over domestic programs.

The 2027 plans for the Pentagon were confirmed in a White House outline of Trump’s 2027 budget proposal released on Friday (Washington time).

The White House summary says Trump’s proposal would reduce non-defence spending by 10 per cent by shifting some responsibilities to state and local governments.

Even before the US-led war against Iran, the Republican president had indicated he wanted to bolster defence spending to modernise the military for 21st-century threats. Separately, the Pentagon last month proposed $200 billion for the war effort and to backfill munitions and supplies.

AP