President Donald Trump has pledged to rebuild the U.S. armed forces and expand the U.S. Navy‘s aircraft carrier fleet through a proposed $54 billion increase in the Defense Department budget for fiscal 2018, DoD News reported Thursday.
Jim Garamone writes Trump discussed his goals for the country’s military during a ceremony held Thursday aboard the future USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier in Newport News, Virginia.
“After years of endless budget cuts that have impaired our defenses, I am calling for one of the largest defense spending increases in history,” Trump said.
He also commended the employees of Huntington Ingalls Industries‘ Newport News Shipbuilding division who have supported the $13 billion Ford carrier construction project.
Defense Secretary James Mattis said the military rebuilding effort seeks to equip active-duty service members with new aircraft, ships and other technologies necessary to keep the U.S.