U.S. Allocates Billions to Deter China
ARK News.. The U.S. Department of Defense has allocated more than $10.8 billion to develop 25 weapons systems under the SHOTCALLER program, aimed at deterring China, including $1.16 billion for Fiscal Year 2026.
According to Pentagon documents, the FY2026 request notes that the bulk of the initiative — the Advanced Innovative Technologies Program — will receive $1.16 billion, following over $9.6 billion already spent in previous years.
Some projects operate under code names such as Asgard, Bedlam, Lazarus, Oculus Prime, Pele, and Rolling Dice. Certain areas have already received hundreds of millions in funding, while work on others will only commence in 2026.
The Pentagon explained that the new developments aim to address vulnerabilities revealed in recent military exercises and to strengthen the U.S. position in a potential confrontation with China.
The SHOTCALLER program is designed to develop long-range weapons and collect data from space, air, and sea systems, enabling faster and more precise strikes in the event of a conflict in the Indo-Pacific region, according to U.S. defense officials.
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