The US Army is secretly considering a radical reduction in regular forces by 30,000-90,000 troops.
This was reported by the American portal Military.com, citing three Pentagon representatives familiar with the discussions.
Such conversations indicate growing financial pressure on the Pentagon and a shift in emphasis in military strategy.
The military is being considered to be reduced to 360,000-420,000 troops, down from the current level of around 450,000. The army is being transformed from a conventional force into what planners hope will be a more flexible, specialized tool better suited to future conflicts. It is unclear whether the plan is to reduce the army reserve or the National Guard.
Earlier, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the Pentagon to develop plans to cut the budget by 8%.
The discussion of cuts comes at a time when the military is particularly spread out around the world, taking part in counter-terrorism missions in Africa and the Middle East, as well as increasing its presence in the Pacific region to counter Beijing's expansionist goals.
Moreover, the army has effectively become the defender of NATO's forward positions in the context of Russia's war against Ukraine - a mission that the Trump administration often mocks.
Some officials are concerned that a sharp reduction in the size of the force could worsen an already difficult recruitment situation and lead to an outflow of qualified personnel.
As Apostrophe reported, the Pentagon is investigating a Signal chat room where Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other US presidential administration officials discussed details of a military operation.