The Big Bucks
When people talk about military spending, the conversation often revolves around an expensive new fighter jet or futuristic technology. Often, those investments total billions of dollars at a time. But how does the sizable U.S. military budget really break down?
Business Insider has demystified military spending with a series of simple infographics about the 2015 budget. It’s an interesting read and you may be surprised at how money gets spread across each branch of service, and among different purposes.
Notable highlights of the budget analysis include:
- The base budget comprises 80% of spending. This includes equipment and operations. Overseas contingencies and growth initiatives make up much of the rest.
- Out of the $496 base budget, about half pays for personnel and operations. About 13% goes toward R&D.
- The Navy takes the lion’s share of the budget, followed by the Air Force. These branches also spend the largest amounts on big-ticket investments such as the $8.3 billion F-35 fighter jet and the $6.3 billion SSN 774 Virginia submarine.
On one hand, it’s true that the military spends the vast majority of its money on day-to-day operations. On the other hand, a single fighter plane cost almost 2% of the annual budget.
Military spending receives special scrutiny, and everyone can appreciate smart steps to improve the efficiency of operations.
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