The U.S. Marine Corps secured $45.9 billion from President Trump’s proposed 2020 budget a figure that will support the acquisition of the service’s first fleet of MQ-9 Reaper drones, National Defense Magazine reported Tuesday.
The Marines’ budget for the next fiscal year is $2.7 billion higher than its 2019 level and includes $3.1 billion for acquisition of new technologies. Trump allocated $77 million for the procurement of three new MQ-9 drones.
Rear Adm. Randy Crites, deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for budget, said the drone can “fulfill an urgent operational need for the marines as we intend to transition this as a program of record once we complete the program evaluation process.”
Aside from the drones Trump’s budget provides funding for other new military systems for the marines including F-35 joint strike fighters, CH-53K King Stallion helicopters, amphibious combat vehicles, joint light tactical vehicles and ground/air task oriented radars. The Marines also hope to secure funding to increase personnel to 186,200 in 2020.
