Publication

This report provides an overview of the Trump administration’s fiscal year 2019 budget request for the US Department of Defense (DoD). The authors contend the 2019 request presented a rare opportunity for the DoD, one that has not been taken. The Trump administration has set a new strategic direction in its National Security Strategy and National Defense Strategy, and received an influx of cash from Congress for implementation. However, the authors find that procurement spending in the 2019 request largely goes to buying or upgrading legacy systems. This is less than what might have been expected given the Trump administration’s emphasis on strategic competition with China and Russia.