Trump thinks defense spending could be halved, but the Pentagon’s costliest weapons program is ‘relatively affordable,’ analyst says
Opinion by Jason Ma • 15h
President Donald Trump suggested Thursday that the Pentagon's budget could be cut in half if the US, China, and Russia can reach some kind of deal. While the F-35 has taken flak as the most expensive acquisition program, an analyst said it looks "relatively affordable" for the capabilities that it brings.
President Donald Trump and Elon Musk's DOGE team look to slash defense spending, but a Wall Street analyst thinks the Pentagon's most expensive weapons program delivers plenty of bang for the buck.
That would be Lockheed Martin's F-35 stealth fighter, which has previously drawn Musk's scorn as being inferior to drones. After including the expenses to develop, manufacture, operate, and maintain its eventual fleet of F-35s over the fighter’s total service life, the Defense Department estimates the program will cost $1.8 trillion.
Last week, Trump signaled that DOGE will soon take on the Pentagon and its $850 billion budget. And then on Thursday, he dropped a bombshell, suggesting that spending could be halved if the US, China, and Russia can reach some kind of deal.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/trump-thinks-defense-spending-could-be-halved-but-the-pentagon-s-costliest-weapons-program-is-relatively-affordable-analyst-says/ar-AA1z7PCr?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=HCTS&cvid=591a8e3f0d784d7cc1472cf7293f63a7&ei=77
