Will Donald Trump Trigger World War 3? Republican Wants More Ships, Troops And Military Planes

Donald Trump warned about the dangers of World War III on the campaign trail. “You’re going to end up in World War III over Syria if we listen to Hillary Clinton,” he told voters.

But Trump's vision for America doesn't exactly portray a peaceful future. Trump has promised to build a more powerful, larger military branch to quell threats across the globe.

He vowed to grow the size of the U.S. Army to 540,000 active duty soldiers, up from about 475,000 today. That could add about $30 billion to the federal government, Mark Cancian, a defense analyst for the Center For Strategic and International Studies, told Bloomberg.

Trump also said he will bring the U.S. Navy's ship total to 350, compared with the Navy’s standing goal of restoring its fleet to 308 vessels. He wants to upgrade the Navy's cruisers and acquire modern destroyers to counter missile threats from Iran, North Korea and other nations. He also wants to give the U.S. Air Force 1,200 fighter aircraft, up from 1,113.

Trump said the U.S. won't be prepared to face international threats unless it increases its military budget. The U.S. devoted more than $600 billion to defense spending last year. Trump has said he will pay for his bigger military budget by passing on the bill to nations where the U.S. has military bases, including Germany, Saudi Arabia and Japan.

"History shows that when America is not prepared is when the danger is greatest. We want to deter, avoid and prevent conflict through our unquestioned military dominance," Trump said in September.

Before Trump, the 2012 Republican nominee Mitt Romney also called for a larger Navy with 350 vessels. He blamed President Barack Obama for letting the number of ships fall to “levels not seen since 1916.”

“We also have fewer horses and bayonets” than in 1916, Obama shot back.