it may be that they wanted to take a shot across the bow of the Putin invasion ship.
An amount that large sends the message that Putin is going to be outspent and that he has little realistic hope of succeeding.
Reagen essentially bankrupted the Soviet Union on military spending, this may be another version.
Reagan could do that because he got the economy back in shape.
He wasn't outspending the Soviets during record high gas prices and inflation.
People in DC need to think of what Russia can do that will harm the US economy and not result in a US military response.
I can’t post possibilities online, but they exist.
Is it possible that the money to the defense contractors is for the production of new antitank missiles to replace those that we have expended and ramping up R&D in the next generation? How about the expansion of our intel capabilities in light of our current successes in targeting?
We have a very critical part in this more-or-less stable world we have evolved, the best defense has always been our alliances and the tactical/technological steps ahead of our potential adversaries. At this moment, we see the effects of using only precision weapons, really accurate target location, and allies willing to resist against a modern invader.
Everybody in the world is watching and the really dangerous ones - like China and Iran - are paying very close attention and likely revising plans because of what's happening to the Russian forces.
The best way to preserve our freedom and keep our enemies behaving is exactly what's happening today in Ukraine.
Looking at Russia's current military efficacy, it's starting to look like all that Cold War blood and treasure was a colossal waste.