HOW MUCH IS THAT F-15 IN THE WINDOW? - (U.S. military outspends next 13 nations combined)

NCPA.ORG ^ | MAY 12, 2005 | CHARLES PENA

[CHARLITE]

The national defense budget could be cut by nearly a quarter and still leave the United States military in shape to take on all likely threats and fulfill its role in the war on terrorism, says Charles Pena, director of defense policy studies at the Cato Institute.

Furthermore, the United States is outspending the rest of the world at an astounding rate. According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), in 2003:

Total U.S. defense expenditures were $404.9 billion, an amount exceeding the combined defense expenditures of the next 13 countries and more than double the combined defense spending of the remaining 158 countries in the world. The countries closest in defense spending to the United States were Russia at $65.2 billion and China at $55.9 billion. The United States outspent its NATO allies nearly two to one ($404.9 billion vs. $221.1 billion). The combined defense spending of the remaining “axis of evil” nations (North Korea and Iran) was about $8.5 billion, or 2 percent of U.S. defense expenditures. Although it is impossible to accurately predict future defense expenditures, Pena says the United States is on track to outspend the rest of the world combined sometime during the next 10 to 20 years.

Pena says there are no threats from nation-states that warrant the United States maintaining a large, forward-deployed military presence around the world. A better approach to maintaining U.S. security would be to eschew unnecessary interventions abroad and to reduce overseas Cold War-era military commitments.

Source: Charles Pena, “The War on Terrorism Does Not Require a Burgeoning Defense Budget,” Cato Institute, Policy Analysis No. 539, March 28, 2005.

For text:
http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa539.pdf

For more on Security/Defense: Arms Budget:

http://www.ncpa.org/iss/nat/

[amosmoses]

Japan is #3? I thought we provided their defense. I would have never guessed. I thought they had something in their post-war constitution limiting their military size.

[Strategerist]

The Japanese economy is so huge that even going a bit above 1% of GDP in spending gives them a huge military budget.

[Strategerist]

Oh, while I love Cato in general their defense positions are silly.

On the other hand, for whatever reason people are big on "sky is falling" analysis of our military relative to others, particularly the PRC.

[Jeff Head]

I do not submit that the "Sky is falling", only that the trends are clear and not promising with what the PRC is doing and that we should respond accordingly. Both by building up our force structure and readiness (as Reagan did in the face of the Soviets) and, as importantly, drying up the PRC finincial bonanza.

If we do not, I believe we will fight them in the next ten years or maybe sooner depending on the Taiwan issue. I believe we will win in any case, but that the cost will be much greater than if we act accordingly now. Just my opinion.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

I would say, increase our military spending up to $ 500 Billion, use 50 Billion on R&D .
The USA MUST NEVER !! get behind in military technologies, and systems development.
The USA should always remain the strongest economic, military, and technological power in the world.
I say cut the budget in other places, like ? S.S. spending benefits on people who are drawling off of S.S. just because they have a drug habit.
Cut funding for P.B.S., N.P.R. ( the liberals have enough money to keep their 2nd arm of the D.N.C liberal rag going ).
Cut the budget on the National Endowment of the Arts ( once again, the liberals have enough money to keep that going ).
We spend $ 60 Billion ( Federally and State combined ) a year on unwed mothers who get pregnant. Let their families, and the Church help those unwed mothers who get pregnant.
It's not our responsibility ( and the Federal and State Governments ) to support their children ( we can thank the Feminist for that program ) ..... let Ted Kennedy, Babs Boxer, and the liberals support those unwed mothers who have babies out of wedlock, NOT THE TAX PAYERS.
If the National Organization of Women ( N.O.W. ) are getting any federal dollars, I say stop funding N.O.W. ( let the liberals themselves personally fund them ).
And foreign aid that we send, those nations WILL HAVE TO MEET very strict requirements before we even send them any foreign aid ( as in ? either they are for us, or against us, and if they are ( historically against us, NO WAY ).
So you see ? there are ways we can increase our military and R&D budget, without having to effect the rest of our federal budget.

[FierceDraka]

Sweden spends $5.7 billion on defense? I wonder what they spend it on?

Art deco furniture, pickled herring, and akvavit?

;-D

[Enchante]

re: Japan
Looks like they have some rather useful forces to have around, so close to the PRC.... :^)

Even if they weren't directly involved in a particular confrontation, the PRC's leaders would have to keep thinking about what Japan MIGHT do in conjunction with the USA.....

220+ F-15s
56 destroyers and destroyer-escorts of various types
18 submarines

Of course much depends upon specifics of training and quality of individual weapons systems, etc. but it sounds like it could at least help to make the PRC pause before whooping things up too much with us....


http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/japan/ship.htm

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/japan/f-15j.htm

[thoughtomator]

I heard the average age of a Belgian soldier was 40.

[Boundless]

> I have heard that the French and German militaries are
> operated in large part as quasi-welfare institutions ...

When has it ever been otherwise with the French?
(except while they are actively engaged in losing a war :-)

[Ronaldus Magnus]

Total U.S. defense expenditures were $404.9 billion, an amount exceeding the combined defense expenditures of the next 13 countries and more than double the combined defense spending of the remaining 158 countries in the world.

We have now surpassed the Macedonian Phalanxes, the Roman Legions, the Mongol Horde, the Moorish Tide, and the British Navy in both absolute AND relative military supremacy. This is truly a unique point in all of human history.

[SnuffaBolshevik]

I have heard that the French and German militaries are operated in large part as quasi-welfare institutions with a very high ratio of middle-aged beaurocrats.

I had the opportunity to visit a Swiss tank factory building Leo 2's under license in the early 1990's. There was a middle aged man whose job was painting the lug nuts on the road wheels by hand with an artist's brush. I knew right then that this was welfare, not defense.

[Enchante]

"There was a middle aged man whose job was painting the lug nuts on the road wheels by hand with an artist's brush. I knew right then that this was welfare, not defense."


Yeah, but they do have a lot of wine available to go with their WHINE.....

[Prophet in the wilderness]

SO ? does Japan out spend Russia in Military spending ? and how does Japan's military compare to Russia's ?

[Prophet in the wilderness]

It's a good thing, that the Japanese are our allies ( a dependable ally for the last 50 years ).... and we sure hope they remain one of our dependable ally.
Do you think ? the Japanese in some small way, can counter Russia and China, with the Aussies, and the UK on our side ?

[Jeff Head]

I beleive we can, and will. It is going to be a matter of how much we lose in the process based on how long we wait to react directly and forthrightly.

If we wait too long, we may get pushed back =at the start like in World War II and lose a lot of people putting the genie back in the bottle.

[PAR35]

Thanks for the list.

14 Canada $ 9,801,700,000 2003
16 Israel $ 9,110,000,000 FY03
17 Taiwan $ 7,574,000,000 2003
18 Mexico $ 6,043,000,000 2004

I would posit that Israel is getting more for its money than is Canada, and Taiwan (Republic of China) is getting more for its money than is Mexico.

And I'll have to join those who are expressing surprise at Japan's position. I'd have also pegged India higher.

[PAR35]

I thought they had something in their post-war constitution limiting their military size.

Japan doesn't have a military. All they have is a self defense force. Of course, it takes a lot to defend yourself when you are face-to-face with China, North Korea and Russia.

[CasearianDaoist]

We should double that spending. We do not spend enough as it is.

[Jeff Head]

This guy's article had the rankings a little different (download the PDF file)...

1. United States
2. Russia
3. China
4. France
5. Japan
6. UK
7. Germany
6. Italy
9. Saudi Arabia
10.India
11.S. Korea
12.Australia
13.Turkey
14.Israel

[PAR35]

I would still have guessed India higher, but I would have scored better based on this list than the other.