Jules Hurst III
Pentagon Comptroller responsible for releasing the FY2027 Department of Defense budget request on 21 April 2026.
Last refreshed: 30 April 2026 · Appears in 2 active topics
What will Jules Hurst III tell Congress about the $54.6 billion DAWG request in May markup hearings?
Timeline for Jules Hurst III
Disclosed $25 billion Iran war cost figure, the first public estimate of the conflict
Iran Conflict 2026: Hegseth signs as Secretary of WarReleased FY2027 DoD budget request on 21 April 2026
Drones: Industry & Defence: Pentagon DAWG line jumps to $54.6bn- Who is Jules Hurst III at the Pentagon?
- Jules Hurst III is the Comptroller of the United States Department of Defense, the senior official responsible for the department's budget. He released the FY2027 DoD budget request on 21 April 2026, which included a 24,100% increase in the Defense Autonomous Warfare Group line.Source: DefenseScoop
- What does the Pentagon Comptroller do?
- The Pentagon Comptroller is a Senate-confirmed official who oversees the DoD's roughly $850 billion annual budget, prepares the President's budget submission to Congress, and testifies before the HASC and SASC during budget markup. Jules Hurst III currently holds the position.Source: DefenseScoop
- What did Jules Hurst III announce about drone spending?
- On 21 April 2026, Jules Hurst III released the FY2027 DoD budget request including $70 billion for drones and counter-drones and a 24,100% jump in the DAWG programme office line, describing it as the largest drone warfare investment in US history.Source: DefenseScoop
Background
Jules Hurst III serves as Comptroller of the United States Department of Defense, the senior official responsible for the department's budget, financial management, and resource allocation. On 21 April 2026 he released the FY2027 DoD budget request, which included the single-largest single-cycle increase in any US defence procurement line item in post-WWII history: the Defense Autonomous Warfare Group (DAWG) jumped from $225.9 million to $54.6 billion, a 24,100% increase. The request described the shift as the largest investment in drone warfare in US history.
The Comptroller of Defense is a Senate-confirmed position whose holder oversees the department's roughly $850 billion annual budget, prepares the President's budget submission to Congress, and testifies before the HASC and SASC during markup. Hurst III's FY2027 submission structured autonomous systems as the dominant procurement category for the first time, consolidating funding that had been distributed across Army PEO Aviation, Navy NAVAIR, and other service acquisition offices into the DAWG programme office.
As Comptroller, Hurst III will present the DAWG justification to congressional appropriators during the May to July 2026 markup process. His testimony will be the first public opportunity to provide technical specifications for Pegasus Charge and Ironhorse Rebirth, the two new programmes that appeared in the FY2027 request without named prime contractors or disclosed performance requirements.
