U.S. continues to drive global military spending: SIPRI

The U.S. funding for military R and D rose by 24 per cent between 2012 and 2021, while arms procurement funding fell by 6.4 per cent over the same period, the SIPRI said in a report.

"The increase in R and D spending over the decade 2012-2021 suggests that the United States is focusing more on next-generation technologies," said Alexandra Marksteiner, a researcher with SIPRI's military expenditure and arms production program.

The U.S. government has repeatedly stressed the need to preserve its military's technological edge over strategic competitors, Marksteiner added.

According to the report, world military spending continued to grow for the seventh consecutive year in 2021, reaching an all-time high of 2.1 trillion U.S. dollars, of which the United States accounted for 38 per cent, the world's largest.

The country's "continued heavy investment in R and D (combined with the cut in procurement funding) seems to indicate that it is currently prioritizing the development of new technologies over large-scale spending on legacy systems," the report said.

Nuclear-related spending was among the military budget items that saw the largest increase in 2021, reflecting the United States' planned overhaul and modernization of its nuclear arsenal, it added.