Defense spending

A fully costed, decade-long spending plan from the Australian Defense Department lays out its priorities in the coming years.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's plan to raise the UK defense budget to “a new baseline” 2.5% of GDP by 2030 contains a crucial caveat.

Executives from BAE Systems, Leonardo, MBDA and Rolls-Royce argue that the UK should not rely on other nations when it comes to defense procurement.

Labour has now joined the Conservatives in pledging to raise defense spending to 2.5% of GDP, but woolly caveats and an impending election leave doubts.

Traditionally when increased regional tensions and high oil prices coincide, defense spending in the Middle East and North Africa tends to see robust growth.

Spending on defense has increased at an average rate of 5.4% in real terms in the three years since 2021.

Combined spending on procurement and RDT&E will reach 36.6% of overall U.S. defense spending in fiscal 2027, a level not seen since the end of the Cold War.

The Pentagon appears to have reached peak spending and will have to determine how to meet its strategic objectives through redistribution and reprioritization

Chinese defense expenditure will remain at around 1.2% of GDP, although aspects of wider defense spending are understood to not be included in that official figure.

The plan also includes the creation of a European Defense Industry Program.

Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, European defense expenditure has increased by 26.7% in real terms, and its defense sector is still catching up.

Despite the constraints on capital and R&D budgets, there are signs that the Indian Defense Ministry is trying to prioritize modernization spending.

As the budget was announced, the head of the Republic of Singapore Air Force shared his priorities ahead of Singapore Airshow 2024.

France’s defense materiel agency DGA placed orders totaling €20.3 billion ($22 billion) during 2023, the highest level of spending in 15 years.

Riyadh announced a 3.9% rise for defense spending in fiscal 2024. Three factors likely dictate whether another sizable boost to spending materializes this year.

France is to invest €6.41 billion ($6.75 billion) in the Dassault Rafale fighter program between 2023 and 2026 and has earmarked €5.36 billion after 2026.

German lawmakers have approved the final and largest tranche of spending for the country’s purchase of the Israeli Arrow 3 anti-ballistic missile system.

The Malaysian Air Force's CAP55 roadmap would suggest the force will return to Airbus for more H225Ms to unify its fleet.

U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall on Sept. 11 used what is typically his largest stage.

The Australian Defense Department will spend more than $2 billion on Tomahawk, AARGM-ER, Spike, additional HIMARS and PrSM to boost its missile capabilities.

The U.S.-Japan partnership is reportedly intended to counter growing threats of hypersonic missile technology from China, North Korea and Russia.

Australia, the UK and the U.S. in July signed a cooperation agreement to work together on future upgrades to the E-7A, with a focus on interoperability.

Madrid has approved spending on a new fleet of Airbus-built UAS for the Spanish Army and Air Force.

The defense ministry’s Command Paper Refresh was published July 18.

U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall says the House's addition of $558 million for the force's Adaptive Engine Transition Program is akin to "throwing money away."