The White House has proposed a $4 trillion budget for fiscal year 2016. dollars. In total, the budget provides for spending $561 billion on military needs, this amount includes spending $117 million on “countering Russia” in Ukraine and another $51 million on assistance to Moldova and Georgia.

In addition, $8.8 billion will be spent to continue the fight against Islamic State militants in Syria and Iraq, and $14 billion will be reserved for possible counteraction to the growing number of cyber threats. The White House would like to allocate another 58 billion dollars to “unscheduled foreign operations” (it’s impossible to organize a big war for 58 lard, but a couple of local big badabums are quite possible).

Below is a list of countries with the most powerful military budgets in the world.

1. USA – $561 billion

According to the draft budget, the country’s defense expenditures reach 561 billion, but back in 2013 they amounted to 640 billion. The United States spends more on defense than the next 10 countries combined. The US's biggest advantage is its fleet of 19 aircraft carriers. The total number of military personnel is 1.43 million, and the personnel reserve is another 850 thousand.

1. China – $188 billion

The country's defense spending reaches $188 billion. China is actively and greatly increasing military spending. The strength of the Chinese army is truly impressive. The active personnel are more than 2.285 million people, and another 2.3 million are in reserve. According to some reports, China is actively practicing industrial and military espionage, which allows it to create analogues of foreign military equipment.

1. Russia – $87.8 billion

Two decades after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russian military power is growing again. Military spending has increased by almost a third since 2008 and is expected to rise another 44% over the next three years. The total number of military personnel is more than 766 thousand people, and the personnel reserve is 2.485 million people. And these troops are supported by the largest tank force in the world, numbering 15.5 thousand tanks.

1. Saudi Arabia – $67 billion

Saudi Arabia's military budget from 2006 to 2010. increased from 31 billion to 45 billion. In 2012, Saudi Arabia spent 52.5 billion on military needs, and in 2013 - 67 billion. The country is constantly increasing its military potential: purchasing huge quantities of weapons, mainly from USA. Thus, one of the largest arms deals was the deal in which the United States sold a batch of F-15 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia.

1. France – $61.2 billion

France is actively involved in operations around the world, including the Central African Republic, Chad, Mali, Senegal and other countries. The 2015 defense budget provides for the receipt of a significant amount of weapons systems, equipment and ammunition.

The orders, which will be placed in 2015, will be a continuation of the measures to reform the armed forces that began in 2014. In particular, in 2015, the French Ministry of Defense expects to conclude contracts for the supply of 8 multi-purpose refueling transports, one medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aircraft system (MALE), and 100 vehicles for special operations forces.

1. UK – $57.9 billion

The UK plans to reduce the size of its armed forces by 20% by 2018, with small cuts also affecting the Royal Navy and Air Force. The country's defense budget was 57.9 billion in 2013. According to some military analysts, despite the reduction in military spending, the UK can still gain an advantage over new military powers such as China. First of all, this can be achieved through new equipment that is planned to be put into service, including the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth. The total number of military personnel is 205.3 thousand people, the personnel reserve is 188 thousand.

1. Germany – $48.8 billion

The country plays an important role in international operations and military relations. The defense budget in 2013 amounted to 48.8 billion dollars, and this is the seventh highest figure in the world. After the end of World War II, the country's population generally expressed anti-war sentiments. Initially, everything was limited to defense forces, but after the collapse of Yugoslavia, Germany began to take an active role in the international arena. The total number of military personnel is 183 thousand people, the personnel reserve is 145 thousand. Compulsory military service in Germany was abolished in 2011 in an attempt to create a professional army.

1. Japan – $48.6 billion

Japan has begun to increase defense spending in response to increasingly active territorial disputes with China. The country also began its first military expansion for the first time in more than 40 years, establishing a new base on the outlying islands. The annual defense budget in 2013 was 48.6 billion. The Japanese army is quite well equipped, and there is no shortage of equipment.

Currently, the military personnel reaches 247 thousand, and another 57.9 thousand are in reserve. In addition, Japan has 1,595 aircraft and 131 warships. However, the country cannot have an offensive army according to its constitution.

1. India – $47.4 billion

Defense spending in India is expected to rise as more money is needed to modernize the army. In 2013, India spent an estimated 47.4 billion on defense, making the country the largest importer of military products. India is armed with ballistic missiles with a range sufficient to destroy targets in Pakistan and large parts of China. The total number of military personnel is 1.33 million, and the personnel reserve is another 2.14 million.

1. Republic of Korea – $33.9 billion

South Korea is increasing defense spending in response to increases in Japan and China, as well as the ongoing threat from North Korea. South Korea's military strength is quite large for a small country. The total number of military personnel is 640 thousand people, the personnel reserve is 2.9 million. The South Korean military regularly takes part in military exercises with the United States.

No country in the world yet comes close to the United States in terms of military spending. In 2014, US military spending reached $571 billion, far ahead of second-place China at $129.4 billion. However, when military budgets are considered as a percentage of a country's GDP, the situation becomes very different.

Saudi Arabia is spending more on its military than ever before, increasing its military budget by 17 percent in 2014. Military spending currently accounts for at least 10.4 percent of the kingdom's GDP, according to estimates from the Stockholm Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). By contrast, Washington's enormous military spending amounts to "only" 3.5 percent of GDP. In China, military spending fell to 2.1 percent.

Israel spent about $23 billion on its military in 2014, and SIPRI estimates the figure was 5.2 percent of GDP. Russia has embarked on a major military equipment upgrade program, bringing the country's military spending to an estimated 4.5 percent of GDP in 2014. This year, according to budget data, the figure has increased significantly, by more than 9 percent, in first-quarter GDP, although that rate of spending growth is certainly unsustainable.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has replaced India as the world's largest importer of military equipment, according to IHS Jane. Between 2013 and 2014, Saudi Arabia's arms imports increased by 54 percent to $6.46 billion. In 2014, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates imported $8.6 billion worth of military equipment - more than all Western European countries imported. combined.

The flow of weapons is showing some signs of slowing, but the Kingdom continues to strengthen its military to counter regional threats including Iran and the Islamic State. In fact, continued shipments of weapons such as F-15 and Typhoon fighter jets could increase imports by 52 percent to $9.8 billion in 2015.

In 2014, India imported military equipment worth $5.57 billion, remaining in second place in the world. China completes the top three, with $2.6 billion worth of arms imports.

The global market for security systems and security equipment is growing at no less a pace than the arms market. According to research by The Freedonia Group, this market will grow annually by an average of 6.8 percent and will reach $126 billion by the end of 2018.

The fastest growth in the need for security systems will be observed in South and Central America, Asia and Africa. At the same time, the share of electronic security equipment, which already accounts for about 2/3 of the world market, will continue to grow in the coming years.

Russia's share of the global market for security systems and equipment is only about 1 percent. At the same time, domestic systems are quite in demand on the domestic market, and their quality is not inferior to many foreign analogues. According to the website naoxrane.ru, which sells, among other things, security and fire alarm systems and systems of well-known brands for legal entities and individuals, the cost of installing such a system ranges from 20 to 70 thousand rubles, which is quite affordable for both small businesses and apartment owners or cottages.

10

10th place - South Korea

• Military expenses:$36.4 billion
• Innovation Index: 2.26 (2nd place in the world)
• Share of GDP: 2,6 %
• World share: 2,2 %

The Supreme Commander-in-Chief is the President of the country; the overall leadership of the armed forces is carried out by the Minister of Defense. The operational management of the armed forces and strategic planning are carried out by the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The armed forces are organized according to the American model. In addition, South Korea has an independent maritime border guard and civil defense units.

9

9th place - Germany

• Military expenses:$39.4 billion
• Innovation Index: 1.12 (19th place in the world)
• Share of GDP: 1,2 %
• World share: 2,4 %

Until July 1, 2011, in Germany, all adult citizens of the country were required to serve under conscription (6 months of military service or alternative labor service in social and charitable organizations). The number of conscripts in the Bundeswehr varied from 60 thousand to 80 thousand military personnel who serve for 6 months. Thus, from July 1, 2011, the Bundeswehr switched to a fully professional army.

8

8th place - Japan

• Military expenses:$40.9 billion
• Innovation Index: 1.79 (9th place in the world)
• Share of GDP: 1,0 %
• World share: 2,4 %

The total strength of the Self-Defense Forces is 248 thousand people, in addition, there are 56 thousand reservists. The Japan Self-Defense Forces are staffed on a voluntary basis. The Supreme Commander of the Japan Self-Defense Forces is the Prime Minister of the country.

7

7th place - France

• Military expenses:$50.9 billion
• Innovation Index: 1.12 (20th place in the world)
• Share of GDP: 2,1 %
• World share: 3,0 %

The most feminized army, air force and navy in Western Europe (more than 14% of employees are women). The minimum military age for recruitment is 17 years, the maximum is 40 years. There is no call. France is a nuclear weapons country. However, in 1998, France ratified a protocol banning all types of nuclear tests.

6

6th place - India

• Military expenses:$51.3 billion
• Innovation Index: 0.06 (46th place in the world)
• Share of GDP: 2,3 %
• World share: 3,1 %

The military organization of India, intended for the defense of the Republic, the protection of the freedom and independence of the state, is one of the most important instruments of political power. There is no mandatory call. India ranks first in the world in terms of arms imports.

5

5th place - Great Britain

• Military expenses:$55.5 billion
• Innovation Index: 1.42 (15th place in the world)
• Share of GDP: 2,0 %
• World share: 3,3 %

The United Kingdom has a modern armed forces. The army size is only 180,000 (28th place in the world). The bulk of the military budget is spent on scientific research in the field of engineering and technology.

4

4th place - Russian Federation

• Military expenses:$66.4 billion
• Innovation Index:-0.09 (49th place in the world)
• Share of GDP: 5,4 %
• World share: 4,0 %

The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation have the world's largest stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons, and a well-developed system of means of delivering them. The staffing level of the Russian army at the end of 2014 was estimated at 82%, and at the end of 2015 it was increased to 92%, while the share of contract servicemen amounted to 352 thousand, exceeding the number of conscripts for the first time. According to Business Insider magazine, the Russian army, based on a set of parameters, ranks 2nd in the world in terms of combat power after the US Army and surpasses all other armies in the world in the number of tanks and nuclear weapons.

3

3rd place - Saudi Arabia

• Military expenses:$87.2 billion
• Innovation Index:-0.12 (50th place in the world)
• Share of GDP: 13,7 %
• World share: 5,2 %

The totality of troops of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia designed to protect the freedom, independence and territorial integrity of the state. Consists of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Forces, Strategic Missile Forces and National Guard. The number of personnel is over 150 thousand people. The armed forces of Saudi Arabia were formed with significant military-technical support from the United States and Great Britain, which provided Riyadh with supplies of weapons and military equipment, as well as military specialists.

2

2nd place - China

• Military expenses:$215 billion
• Innovation Index: 0.73 (27th place in the world)
• Share of GDP: 1,9 %
• World share: 13,0 %

The legislation provides for military service for men from 18 years of age; Volunteers are accepted up to 49 years of age. The age limit for an Army Reserve member is 50 years. In wartime, theoretically (without taking into account restrictions on material support) up to 400 million people can be mobilized. Chinese officials say that in the course of arms development, China does not exceed the feasible level that its economy and society can withstand, and certainly does not strive for an arms race. Nevertheless, Chinese defense spending continues to increase significantly (in 2001, Chinese defense spending amounted to $17 billion).

1

1st place - USA

• Military expenses:$596 billion
• Innovation Index: 1.80 (8th place in the world)
• Share of GDP: 3,3 %
• World share: 36,0 %

The US Armed Forces include independent branches of the armed forces - the Ground Forces, the Air Force, the Navy, the Marine Corps and the Coast Guard, as well as units and formations of the Reserve, including the National Guard. As of 2016, the US Armed Forces are the most combat-ready in the world. Recruitment of the armed forces is carried out on a voluntary basis. Citizens of the United States and citizens of other states permanently residing in the United States with at least a secondary education are accepted for service. On November 7, 2015, US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter accused Russia and China of trying to undermine the world order. In particular, the minister said:

Of greatest concern are Moscow's nuclear weapons threats, raising questions about the Russian leadership's commitment to strategic stability, respect for global norms against the use of nuclear weapons, and the caution with which nuclear-era leaders approach nuclear weapons threats.

In this regard, Carter announced measures to curb Russian aggression. Among the planned measures, the minister named the modernization of nuclear weapons, the development of unmanned aircraft and strategic bombers, the development of laser and railgun weapon systems, as well as new weapons systems, the details of which were not specified.

Source: SIPRI

It accounts for 890 billion in the military budget, and the United States occupies almost 70% of NATO! Military spending on the US and allies is 1.09 trillion or 2/3 of the world.

Since 2011, there has been a downward trend in military spending from both the United States and its allies.

If the decrease in spending in the United States is due to the well-known processes of winding down active offensive operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, then the decrease in spending from allies is mainly associated with the strengthening of the dollar.

The rest of the world outside the US zone of influence is increasing military spending. The main contribution comes from China, Russia and India.

Clickable

In the table, strategic allies of the United States are marked in red (which implies joint participation in military operations and unconditional support for US actions in the international arena), and states allied to the United States are marked in blue.

In most European countries, military spending to GDP does not exceed 1.5%.

Clickable

The United States is reaching an average level of military burden on the economy - about 3.3% of GDP. Expenses were at this level from 1995 to 2005.

In China no more than 2%, and in India an average of 2.5%. However, Russia in 2016 set a record for military spending to GDP.

Never before in modern Russia have expenses been so high - 5.3%. The previous maximum was 4.9% in 2014 and at the time of the collapse of the USSR.

Slightly above 5% is the typical level for Israel over the past 6-7 years. In 2016, Russia was in 7th place in terms of military spending to GDP.

Ahead are Oman, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Kuwait, UAE, Israel and possibly Qatar (no data on the latter).

Clickable

The table on the left is sorted for the top 50 countries of the world.

In relation to per capita expenses, Russia is about $500, which is quite decent, considering the sagging exchange rate.

This is the same as in Germany and more than in Italy, Canada, Spain and even 2.3 times more than Turkey (which is at the epicenter of the war).

Taking into account purchasing power parity and the cost of comparable military equipment, expenses in Russia are only 1.5 times lower than in the United States (per capita), and not 3.9, if calculated at face value, and literally several times higher than in leading European countries.

Although Russia may have parity with the United States, it depends on how you calculate PPP for the military sector (it is somewhat different from the civilian sector).

At least according to formal indications, the intensity of military spending in Russia is now at its maximum. Regarding public sector expenditures, it is at least 50% higher than the historical norm for Russia.

Russia was in third place in the list of countries with the highest military expenditures at the end of 2016, according to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). It says that last year Russia increased its spending to $69.2 billion, which is 5.9% more than in 2015.

The country with the highest military spending traditionally remains the United States: in 2016, it spent $611 billion on defense (1.7% more than in 2015). Second place in the ranking was taken by China, whose arms spending amounted to $215 billion (an increase of 5.4% over the year).

In 2015, Saudi Arabia was one of the three countries with the highest defense spending, but in 2016 it was displaced from third position in the ranking by Russia. Despite its constant involvement in regional conflicts, at the end of last year the kingdom reduced its military spending by 30%, to $63.7 billion, the report says. Its authors link Saudi Arabia's reduction in defense spending to falling oil prices. This led to a reduction in oil revenues and economic problems, due to which many oil exporting countries reduced their military spending, SIPRI explains.

India also entered the top five countries with the highest defense spending: in 2016, it allocated $55.9 billion from the country’s budget for military spending, which is 8.5% more than in 2015.

Defense spending in the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa fell in 2016, while in Asia, North Africa and Central and Eastern Europe, on the contrary, they continued to grow, the SIPRI report notes. Thus, it was in Central Europe that the largest relative increase in military spending was recorded: in 2016, the total defense spending of countries in this region increased by 2.4%.

“The increase in spending in many central European countries is partly due to the perception of Russia as posing an increased threat,” said Simon Wezeman, senior researcher at the SIPRI Arms and Military Expenditure Programme.

At the same time, he noted that Russia’s military spending in 2016 amounted to only 27% of the total military spending of European member countries.

As Gazeta.Ru previously wrote, since the beginning of 2016, the North Atlantic Alliance has been adhering to a strategy of containing Russia. Within its framework, in 2017, four additional battalions of military personnel from the United States and Western Europe are planned to be deployed in the Baltic countries and Poland. Previously, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia asked to increase NATO presence on their territory, citing Russian actions related to the annexation of Crimea as justification for this. Currently, three alliance battalions of 1,000 people each are present on the territory of these three countries on a rotational basis.

NATO members must contribute 2% of their annual GDP to the alliance's needs, a figure informally agreed upon by the military bloc in 2004 based on its own calculations of the average level of required defense spending since the end of the Cold War.

However, according to SIPRI, in 2016, of all NATO member states, only four countries allocated the required amount for the needs of the alliance - the United States, Greece, France and Estonia.

The reluctance of the majority of NATO members to contribute 2% of GDP to the needs of the alliance was the main complaint against the bloc from the US President. “NATO must be able to effectively deter any Russian adventures in relation to the Baltic countries. But deterrence, first of all, depends on the confidence of all members of the alliance in fulfilling the principle of collective defense,” the former deputy commander-in-chief of the alliance in Europe said in an interview with Gazeta.Ru.

The highest level of US military spending was recorded in 2010, six years later this figure decreased by 20%.

The increase in US spending on weapons in 2016 may mean the end of the trend towards spending cuts, which was associated with the economic crisis and the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, according to SIPRI.

“Despite continuing legal restrictions on the size of the overall US budget, increases in military spending were agreed to by Congress. The future of military spending remains uncertain due to the changing political situation in the United States,” said Aude Fleurant, director of the SIPRI Arms and Military Expenditure Program.

The head of the Russian Sergei, during the final expanded board of the department at the end of 2016, said that NATO, under the pretext of protecting against the threat from Russia, increased its military budget by $26 billion, to $918 billion, Gazeta.Ru reported. The Minister drew attention to the increase in the number of NATO exercises, as well as the increased number of reconnaissance flights of Western countries near Russian borders in recent years and the intensity of maritime reconnaissance near Russian territorial waters. In parallel with this, the number of sorties by Russian fighters to prevent airspace violations in the Baltic, Black Sea and Arctic has increased by more than one and a half times.

During the meeting of the Ministry of Defense, Shoigu also drew attention to the fact that the American missile defense system in Europe had been brought to the level of initial operational readiness. After minor modifications, it will be possible to secretly deploy Tomahawk-type cruise missiles with a range of up to 2,400 km in the Mk-41 launchers of the missile defense system, each of which can reach a target on Russian territory in less than ten minutes, the minister noted.

According to him, Russia cannot help but react to such actions and continues to implement the army and navy rearmament program adopted back in 2012.

The head of the Ministry of Defense reported that as of the end of 2016, 99% of the launchers of the Strategic Missile Forces () are in combat condition, and more than 96% of them are ready for immediate launch.

Since 2012, four missile regiments equipped with the modern Yars missile system have entered combat duty, and the strategic aviation nuclear forces have been replenished with two modernized Tu-160s and two Tu-95MS. 41 new ballistic missiles were delivered to the Armed Forces, and the group of naval strategic nuclear forces of the Pacific Fleet was strengthened by the missile submarine cruiser Vladimir Monomakh.

As Shoigu stated, in 2017 the Ministry of Defense will primarily strengthen troop groups in the Western, Southwestern and Arctic strategic directions. It is expected that three more regiments of the Strategic Missile Forces with modern missile systems and five modernized strategic aviation aircraft will be put on combat duty. The Ministry of Defense also plans to launch this year the second satellite of the Unified Space System, designed to detect missile launches of a potential enemy, as well as commission radar stations in Yeniseisk, Orsk and Barnaul. The Russian Ground Forces should receive two brigade sets of the Iskander-M missile system this year, and the coastal forces should receive four Bal and Bastion missile systems.