Military Dots
DoD DataU.S. military spending, personnel, weapons stockpile, and nuclear posture — with historical context.
FY2026 Requested
$1013B
Largest in history
FY2025 Enacted
$895B
3% of GDP
Active Duty
1.27M
2024
Combat Aircraft
3,543
Fighters + Bombers
Nuclear Warheads
3,748
Total stockpile
FY2026 Budget Request
$1013B
Trump's proposed defense budget — the largest in U.S. history
▲ 13.2% above 2025's $895B enacted budget
In Context
How It's Counted — FY2026
Headlines cite ~$1.5 trillion in defense spending — that's the full national security envelope. The formal DoD request is $1.013 trillion. The difference is real money spread across three other departments.
Combined total
$1,523B
Figures are approximate FY2026 requests. NNSA and intelligence figures are estimates.
WWII End
Peak U.S. military: 12.1 million active duty, $83B defense spending (37.5% of GDP).
Reagan Buildup
Defense spending nearly doubles from 1980. SDI ("Star Wars") program launched.
START I & Cold War End
Soviet collapse triggers the largest drawdown since WWII. Post–Cold War "peace dividend."
Post-9/11 Spending Peak
Defense budget hits $693.5B (nominal) — highest since WWII in real terms.
Sequestration
Budget Control Act caps cause $85B in automatic cuts. Services scramble for readiness.
Trump FY2026 Request
President Trump requests $1.013 trillion — the largest defense budget in U.S. history.