The White House will ask for $52 billion defense spending increase and 56,000 additional troops in the 2018 budget it will send to Congress on Tuesday, The New York Times reported.
Senior officials at the Office of Management and Budget gave the Times a preview of the budget request. The biggest increase would go to the Defense Department, including $19 billion for equipment such as 70 F-35 and 14 F/A-18 fighter jets.
Some of the money would also go toward adding 56,000 troops, with almost half of that going to the Army. Money is also requested for training current troops.
The budget also increases B-21 bomber funding by $2 billion and includes $4.6 billion to finish one aircraft carrier and begin a second.
The bill is expected to go to Congress next week, where budget committees will craft their own budget proposals in June. Read more here.
{Matzav}
