Set-Aside Alert News Analysis:

Trump plans U.S. defense buildup: more warships, aircraft and troops

Trump’s plans would cost $100B to $300B more than baseline

     President-elect Donald Trump sketched out ambitious plans during the campaign for expanding the U.S. military and increasing defense spending.

     Analysts have estimated the cost of Trump’s defense priorities at roughly $100 billion to $300 billion more than under the baseline set under President Obama, over the next four years. That could bring the defense budget to as high as $900 billion by 2020.

Defense contractors

      If Trump’s plan is adopted,there would be a significant increase in defense contracting as well, affecting both small and large contractors.

     In fiscal 2015, $52 million in DOD spending went to small businesses. An increase proportionate to those under Trump’s plan likely would bring the small vendors’ share to between $60 billion and $80 billion over four years.

     Defense contracting overall might rise from $274 billion in fiscal 2015 (from USASpending.gov), to between $320 billion and $410 billion over four years.

     However, there is no clear picture of how such large hikes in defense spending would be paid for...... ...more....