Defense Budgets / Policy

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung is heading to Washington on August 25 for his first face-to-face with U.S. President Donald Trump since winning June’s snap election. The two leaders are expected to strengthen the 72-year-old defense alliance and wrap up a July trade deal that lowers U.S. tariffs on Korean goods to 15%. That agreement also sets the stage for at least $350 billion in South Korean investment and $100 billion in U.S. energy exports.

The U.S. Air Force has ordered a service-wide, 100% inspection of all M18 sidearms after a 21-year-old Security Forces airman died on July 20 at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming. The move expands a previously announced pause inside Air Force Global Strike Command and applies across the force while investigators examine the circumstances that led to the fatal discharge. Defense officials confirm that commanders have prioritized immediate safety checks and temporary substitutions where needed to sustain mission coverage. 

Germany has passed a new law to speed up military spending. On July 23, the cabinet approved the Bundeswehr Procurement Acceleration Act. It now heads to the Bundestag, where coalition leaders expect a vote by the end of August. The law will stay in place until 2035 and will take the place of a more limited fast-track measure passed back in 2022.

The U.S. Army has chosen Anduril Industries to head up a tech team that’s building the next-gen command-and-control system. Officials confirmed the Army awarded a $99.6 million Other Transaction Authority agreement on July 18. The effort is centered on the 4th Infantry Division. The deal covers the integration, testing, and refining of hardware, software, and soldier-facing apps. The goal is to deliver in less than 12 months, signaling a push for faster rollout of digital tools.

Belgium signed off on a new defense strategy Friday that ramps up it’s fighter jet numbers, rebuilds ground-based air defenses, and adds a third anti-submarine frigate – moves meant to plug serious gaps after years of lagging behind on NATO spending.

The House wrapped up final paperwork Sunday night on its $832 billion defense-spending bill and sent the text to the Senate, beating the gavel-out by a few minutes and keeping the measure on track before the August recess. Leaders now have ten working weeks to finish negotiations if they want the money in place when fiscal 2026 starts on 1 October.

The House Armed Services Committee ended a fourteen-hour markup late Tuesday by approving its Fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, 55-2. The bill injects an extra $1 billion into the Virginia-class submarine program, raises Ukraine military aid to $400 million, blocks any A-10 retirements this year and endorses a 3.8 percent pay raise for service members.

President Emmanuel Macron has moved France’s defense-budget targets forward by three years. He told senior commanders on Sunday that annual outlays will reach €64 billion in 2027, not 2030, doubling the 2017 baseline of €32 billion. Defense officials confirm that the shift adds €6.5 billion across 2026-27 on top of figures already voted by Parliament.

The Senate’s narrow vote on July 1 sent a 940-page reconciliation measure – nicknamed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act – back to the House. At stake is a $150 billion defense add-on that aligns with President Donald Trump’s “peace through strength” plan. According to senior floor staff, the chamber logged 27 straight hours of debate before Vice President J.D. Vance cast the tiebreaker. The clock now runs fast. Expiring 2017 tax cuts force leaders to clear the bill before January, but Pentagon comptrollers warn that some programs need signatures long before the fiscal year closes.