Hegseth Tells Congress Pentagon Reviewing Army Aircraft Cuts in $1.5 Trillion Budget Request

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testified before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense and a separate House panel on May 12, 2026, that the Pentagon is “taking another look” at deep cuts to Army aviation programs contained in its fiscal 2027 budget request.

The proposal totals $1.5 trillion, including a $1.15 trillion discretionary baseline and $350 billion in reconciliation spending. Hegseth described the request as a one-time increase to address deferred maintenance on facilities and accelerate investments in areas such as artificial intelligence.

The department expects to return to a discretionary topline of $1.23 trillion in fiscal 2028.

Hegseth said some elements of the Army Transformation Initiative announced last spring require further review. He noted that the service needs to ensure replacement capabilities exist before reducing investment in aircraft that warfighters currently rely on.

Senior Army officials have previously stated that the existing fleet would continue flying for decades under a sustainment-focused plan. Procurement funding for Apache helicopters would fall from $361.7 million in fiscal 2026 to $1.5 million, Black Hawk funding from $913 million to $39.3 million, and Chinook funding from nearly $629 million to $210 million.

Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro told Hegseth that the budget request cuts more than $5 billion from the aviation industrial base and asked how reducing procurement for platforms currently in production would strengthen rather than weaken that base. Republican Rep.

John Carter of Texas echoed concerns that the proposal effectively zeros out funding for the Apache, Black Hawk and Chinook programs in the coming year. Hegseth indicated that officials would conduct a review to avoid capability gaps during the transition.

He stated, “I actually think it’s something we’re taking another look at.

On the Strait of Hormuz, Hegseth insisted the U.S. maintains control, stating that nothing enters without American approval. He said more than 65 ships had been turned around or disabled as part of efforts that prevent Iran from moving goods out of its ports.

He pointed to battlefield successes and increased leverage over Iran. Hegseth rejected characterizations of the situation as a strategic loss and pushed back against suggestions that U.S. munitions stockpiles are depleted, saying the department has what it needs to execute current operations and plans to increase production going forward.

He declined to confirm or deny reports that only 30 percent of Iran’s missile capacity had been destroyed, saying a public hearing was not the appropriate venue.

Sen. Lindsey Graham cast doubt on Pakistan’s suitability as a mediator in talks between the U.S. and Iran. He cited reports that Pakistan allowed Iranian aircraft to be parked on its territory to shield them from potential strikes. Pakistani officials have denied the reports as baseless and insisted they remain neutral.

They stated that any aircraft movements occurred during a ceasefire period rather than active hostilities. The April ceasefire brokered with Pakistani help has not yet produced a lasting peace agreement despite additional diplomatic efforts including a visit by Vice President J.D. Vance to Islamabad.

Hegseth responded to questions about the budget size by saying the president had proposed a historic budget to defend the nation and confront threats such as Iran that previous administrations had allowed to develop. The Pentagon has not yet released details of its $350 billion reconciliation package.

Rep. Betty McCollum noted that the hearing was conducted in a more respectful tone than recent sessions before the armed services committees.