Trump Administration's FY 2027 Budget Significantly Increases Funding for New Nuclear Warhead Programs and Plutonium Pit Production

Sat, 11 Apr 2026 18:47:00 +0200

The Trump Administration's proposed fiscal year 2027 budget calls for nearly $1.5 trillion in overall military spending, with the Department of Energy receiving $53.9 billion, of which $32.8 billion supports the National Nuclear Security Administration's nuclear weapons activities. This represents a 35% increase in NNSA's total weapons activities to $27.4 billion. The budget accelerates development of several new-design nuclear warheads, including the B61-13 earth-penetrating bomb, W80-4 for air-launched cruise missiles, W87-1 for the Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile, and W93 for submarine-launched missiles. Funding for the W87-1 program rises 41% to $913 million, while the W93 increases 37% to $1.1 billion. A new “Future Programs” line item allocates $99.8 million for feasibility studies on additional warheads. Plutonium pit production, essential for triggering nuclear weapons, sees major boosts: an 83% increase to $2.4 billion at Los Alamos National Laboratory and an 87% r