“Why does the US spend so much on its military?”, Johnny Harris discusses the US military budget surpassing that of other major military powers combined and delves into the details of military spending. Approximately half of the budget goes towards operations and maintenance, with the next largest category being people. The Pentagon also spends heavily on research and development to maintain technological superiority.
The total military budget for 2023 is $853 billion, which is more than the entire economy of Switzerland.half of the military budget goes towards operations and maintenance (OM&M), which includes costs for keeping the Department of Defense running, such as transportation, fuel, maintenance of equipment, administrative costs, training expenses, and environmental cleanup. The US military is described as being much more than a normal military, as it spans the globe and allows the US to enforce rules and maintain control. The next largest category is people, with $172 billion spent on military personnel pay, benefits, retirement, and health care.
The issue of monopolies in defense contracting and the resulting price gouging by a small number of companies. The Pentagon’s reliance on these contractors for critical defense capabilities has led to a situation where there is only one supplier for certain products, such as the F-35 jet or the Stinger missile.
