US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on 1 May mounted a forceful defence of President Donald Trump's proposed $1.5 trillion military budget before the Senate Armed Services Committee, arguing it reflects "the urgency of the moment" and is essential to counter a rapidly deteriorating global security environment. The request, if approved, would mark a sharp increase from the roughly $1 trillion defence outlay in fiscal year 2026.

A Generational Reset of US Military Strength

Hegseth framed the record budget proposal as a generational overhaul of American military power, highlighting investments in industrial capacity, advanced weapons systems, and troop welfare. He pointed to a 7% pay increase for junior enlisted personnel and pledged to eliminate "all poor or failing barracks."

"The $1.5 trillion budget will ensure that the United States continues to maintain the world's most powerful and capable military," Hegseth told senators, adding that the proposal would "position our forces for the current and future fights" while reversing years of "underinvestment and mismanagement."

The secretary also cited more than $50 billion in private-sector investments driven by Pentagon initiatives, including 280 new or expanded facilities and more than 70,000 new jobs, describing it as "a historic demonstration of American manufacturing and defence revitalisation."

Pentagon Shifts to a Business Model

Hegseth stressed efforts to overhaul the Pentagon's procurement system, saying the department had shifted "from a bureaucratic model to a business model" aimed at delivering faster and more cost-effective outcomes. He argued that the budget was designed to restore deterrence across multiple domains, including drones, missile defence, and nuclear forces.

"This is a warfighting budget," he said. "Every policy we pursue… serves to ensure that this department remains laser focused on increasing lethality and survivability."

Iran Operations: 'Stunningly Effective'

On the ongoing conflict with Iran, Hegseth described US military operations as highly effective, insisting that Washington had significantly degraded Tehran's capabilities. He claimed Iran was now "completely incapable at scale" of rebuilding key elements of its defence infrastructure.

"Our military objectives have been stunningly effective," he said, adding that the campaign had strengthened US leverage to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. "We've put the president in a very strong position to ensure Iran never gets a nuclear weapon," Hegseth told the committee.

He also pushed back against criticism of the war effort, warning that "defeatist words" from political opponents risk undermining military gains. "The biggest adversary we face at this point are the reckless naysayers and defeatist words," he said, characterising the administration as confronting "a 47-year threat" with "courage no other president has had."

Recruitment and Morale on the Rise

Hegseth underscored what he described as improvements in recruitment and morale, saying young Americans were joining the military "at historic numbers" and that retention rates were rising. "We fight to win in every scenario," he said.

Broader Geopolitical Context

The proposed budget comes amid heightened geopolitical tensions involving China, Russia, and Iran. The US has steadily expanded defence spending in recent years, driven by strategic competition with China and ongoing conflicts in Europe and the Middle East. Whether Congress will approve the full request — representing a roughly 50% increase over the current outlay — remains to be seen, with Senate deliberations expected to intensify in the weeks ahead.