US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine has defended a request for a $1.5 trillion defence budget by stating that it will help American forces catch up to technological advancements on the battlefield.

“This represents a historic down payment on future security,” Gen Caine tells the House Armed Services Committee.

“If the budget is approved and ultimately deployed, as we look at the character of warfare changing very, very fast, what’s layered into this budget by our civilian leaders will allow us to start getting ahead of where technology is evolving.”