Weinberger served as defense secretary from 1982 to 1987, overseeing the US administration's so-called "Star Wars" military program.

Born on August 18, 1917, Weinberger graduated from Harvard law school in 1941 and entered the US army that same year, serving in the Pacific theater.

He also was active in politics, serving as chairman of the Republican Party in 1962, before becoming chairman of the Federal Trade Commission in 1970 and serving as deputy director and later director of the Office of Management and Budget.

Between 1973 and 1975, he took on the roles of secretary of health, education and welfare before returning to the private sector to work for Bechtel Group.

Despite his reputation for cost-cutting, which earned him the nickname "Cap the Knife," Weinberger championed Reagan's plan to boost the Defense Department's budget and modernize the US armed forces.

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