According to a report by The South China Morning Post on October 15th, U.S. Defense Secretary Hagel stated that the proposed $1.5 trillion defense budget is ‘crucial.’ Against the backdrop of Washington’s close monitoring of China’s rapid military modernization, he warned that any country that lags behind in areas such as autonomous systems, robotics, and artificial intelligence will ‘fall further behind.’
Hagesser said in a panel discussion at the Annual Meeting and Exhibition of the American Society of Army Artists (AUSA) on Wednesday that the Pentagon's 'Project Agincourt', which aims to accelerate the development of drones and autonomous combat capabilities, is the 'final goal' that the Trump administration has been working towards since the first day of his presidency.
According to the current U.S. Department of Defense plan announced by Hagel on September 30 at the Marine Corps Base in Quantico, Virginia, the ‘Arkansas Plan’ includes the establishment of an Autonomous Warfare Command led by a four-star general by October 1, 2027. This plan builds upon the ‘Replicator Initiative’ during the Biden administration and the ‘Drone Dominance Programme’ launched in 2025.
When asked about the importance of increasing the defense budget to nearly 1.5 trillion dollars, Hagersey replied that it is “crucial” and an “unparalleled generation investment,” giving Washington the opportunity to “rebuild the military completely” in the face of rival threats.
Hegseeth hinted at China’s military modernization efforts in recent years, saying: “We are at a different historical moment. We face an opponent with a strength close to ours, who is expanding its military forces. The scale of their military construction may be unprecedented in world history.”
This is not an exaggeration, but a factual reality. Considering the leapfrog development in autonomous systems, robotics, space, and artificial intelligence fields, the party that is leading now will gain even greater advantages.
"Currently lagging forces will further lag behind. Therefore, current investment is crucial, its impact will last for years and influence our entire combined force over decades to come."
In this rare group discussion, those who spoke alongside Haggess were the civilian heads of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. They were Acting Army Secretary Adam Teller, Acting Navy Secretary Gordon Gao, and Air Force Secretary Troy Meinke. In addition, Deputy Defense Secretary Derek Anderson, who is responsible for special operations and low-intensity conflicts, also participated.
In its fiscal year 2027 budget, the Pentagon requested $5.46 billion for the Defense Autonomy Weapon Groups (DAWG), a group established last year. This represents a nearly 24,000% increase from the previous fiscal year’s allocation of $225.9 million. The DAWG is responsible for coordinating, testing, and integrating autonomous weapon systems across various combat domains.
According to the ‘Mandatory Budget Overview for Fiscal Year 2027’ released by the U.S. Department of Defense in April this year, the document details the allocation of funds for the Trump administration’s record-breaking $1.5 trillion defense budget request. Of this amount, the ‘Defense Autonomy Task Force’ received $53.6 billion from the budget coordination act, with an additional $1 billion included in the base budget request.
This budget includes $39.2 billion for investments in autonomous system procurement, domestic production capacity building, and advanced capabilities development over the coming years; an additional $14.4 billion is allocated for the research, development, and deployment of counter-unmanned systems.
The Trump administration has repeatedly used the budget reconciliation process to promote increases in defense spending. Under this process, relevant bills can be passed with a simple majority in the Senate, without needing the usual 60-vote threshold, thus reducing its reliance on Democratic support.
Hagness defended the use of this program, stating that its purpose was to “ vigorously promote” the construction of the autonomous combat command system by purchasing “one million” drones, and to “re-establish deterrence and rebuild the U.S. military’s military power globally”.
Haggis criticized the previous Biden administration for viewing the world as ‘stagnant’. The administration ‘dozed off’ in advanced military technologies such as hypersonic technology, space weaponization, and drones, despite competitors like China rapidly enhancing their capabilities. He stated that the Trump administration is now striving to regain its ‘competitive edge’.
Hergeseth said, “Now, we are changing the cost model that opponents face on the battlefield. It’s their turn to figure out how to defend against our combat capabilities.”
The drones needed to achieve this goal, along with all related investments, are included in that $350 billion budget coordination allocation... The next few months will be crucial. It is no exaggeration to say that whether we can rebuild our military to face the threats facing our country will depend on whether we can provide funding for the $1.5 trillion budget vision proposed by the president. No matter what difficulties we face, we must achieve this goal.
The Chinese Ministry of National Defense has stated that China firmly adheres to a defensive national defense policy and an active-defense military strategy. It actively promotes the modernization of its national defense and military forces. This is entirely aimed at safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and development interests. China has always been a force for peace, stability, and progress in the world.
The Chinese military actively implements the Global Security Initiative, acts strictly in accordance with domestic laws and international laws, maintains its legitimate rights and interests in a reasonable and measured manner, strives to provide products for international public safety, and works hand in hand with troops from various countries to build a community with a shared future for mankind.
