With budget dominating discussion, how will the Air Force fare?

The Trump administration released its first budget today, issuing both a slim version of the fiscal year 2018 plan as well as a budget amendment for FY-17.

Inside Defense this week took a look at what President Trump's focus on growing the Army and the Navy could mean for the Air Force:

The Trump administration has been vocal about its plans for a larger Army and a bigger Navy fleet, but has remained relatively quiet about its plans for Air Force modernization, leaving analysts wondering what that will mean for the Air Force in the fiscal year 2018 budget.

Among the scant details President Trump has revealed about his strategy for military investment are plans to build a 350-ship fleet for the Navy and increase Army active-duty end strength to 540,000 troops -- up from the 450,000 President Obama planned to have in place by the end of next year.

Trump has proposed a modest increase to the Air Force's operational fighter jet inventory, from 1,141 to 1,200 aircraft, but has spent more of his energy targeting some of the service's prominent programs for cuts -- calling for revised requirements to reduce the cost of the Presidential Aircraft Recapitalization program and pushing for "better deals" on the per-plane price of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Trump even took credit for a recent contract that reflected a 7 percent drop in the F-35's unit cost; that lower price tag had been in the works for several years.

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