MOSCOW — The US Department of War said it had requested a record US$50 billion (RM197.62 billion) for the military intelligence programme in fiscal year 2027, a 49 per cent increase compared to 2026, reported Sputnik/RIA Novosti.

“Today, the Department of War released the Military Intelligence Programme (MIP) top-line budget request for fiscal year 2027. The total was US$50 billion and is aligned to strategic priorities of the Secretary of War,” the department said in a statement yesterday.

However, the details of the allocation of these funds remain classified for national security reasons, the statement added.

The fiscal year 2027 budget requests a nearly 50 per cent increase in military intelligence spending compared to the current US$33.6 billion and a nearly 80 per cent increase compared to the US$27.9 billion allocated in 2023, according to Pentagon budget documents.