Hegseth urges Indo-Pacific allies to raise defense investment to NATO levels
WASHINGTON — U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth urged Indo-Pacific allies to follow the lead of U.S. allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and increase defense spending to 5% of gross domestic product in congressional testimony Wednesday. “At next week’s NATO Heads of State meeting, we expect NATO allies to commit to spending 5% of GDP on defense and related investments,” Hegseth said during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on U.S. defense spending in 2026. “This was almost unthinkable when President Trump launched the program during his first term. As NATO continues to move forward, we now have a new standard for allied defense spending that all allies around the world, including in Asia, should follow.” Hegseth again spoke of China as a “pacing threat” to the United States during the hearing and said the Indo-Pacific region is a priority for the United States. “The Indo-Pacific is our focus area, and China is our pace threat. That’s why I’ve traveled to the region twice to inspect our troops and meet with our allies and partners. As we move to the Indo-Pacific, we look forward to our allies and partners fighting alongside the United States and becoming a force multiplier.”
The so-called “pace threat”, according to former US Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks, refers to the pace of development of the US military to keep an eye on and surpass the pace of development of China’s military.
Hegseth once again expressed at the Senate Armed Services Committee that he hopes that the United States’ allies and partners will do more for their security. He said, “As President (Trump) correctly pointed out, it is only fair that our allies and partners should also do their part. We cannot desire their security more than they do.”
Hegseth’s most recent trip to the Indo-Pacific was to attend the Shangri-La Security Dialogue held in Singapore in late May and early June. At this highest-level security dialogue in the Indo-Pacific region, Hegseth also emphasized that China is a threat and promised to deepen cooperation with Indo-Pacific allies. At the hearing on Wednesday, Hegseth’s speech in Singapore was appreciated by some members of Congress.
The U.S. Congress is currently reviewing the fiscal year 2026 defense budget. This is Hegseth’s fourth testimony in Congress. Previously, he testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee, the House Armed Services Committee and the Appropriations Committee. Hegseth said at a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Committee on June 11 that if European NATO allies can increase their defense spending, it will help the United States shift its strategic focus to the Indo-Pacific region.
At the hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Hegseth once again explained the nearly trillion-dollar defense budget for fiscal year 2026. “Under the leadership of President Trump, this budget puts the United States first and provides our warriors with everything they need. The $961.6 billion budget request, more than $1 trillion for national security, will end our long-standing military underinvestment for four years.”
He said that this budget level is mainly to fulfill the president’s mission of “seeking peace through strength.” He said that in order to achieve this mission, he set three priorities for the Department of Defense: restoring the warrior spirit, rebuilding the army and rebuilding deterrence.
According to Hegseth, the reconstruction plan includes revitalizing the defense industrial base, reforming the procurement process, and quickly providing emerging technologies and new weapons to warfighters. “This budget invests $25 billion in the Golden Dome project, which is a down payment on President Trump’s top priority of defending the American homeland. In the face of growing nuclear dangers, it also commits more than $62 billion to modernize and maintain nuclear forces,” Hegseth said. “The budget allocates $3.5 billion to purchase the F-47, the world’s first sixth-generation air superiority fighter, to help the Department of Defense maintain air superiority.”
In addition, Hegseth said that the Department of Defense will also invest $47 billion in the shipbuilding industry. According to the statement of the Ministry of Defense, this includes 19 new warships and investments in the industrial base.
Post time: Jun-19-2025