#defense spending

Worldwide military expenditure climbed to nearly $2.9 trillion in 2025, driven by sharp increases in Europe and Asia even as U.S. spending posted its steepest annual drop in decades due largely to accounting around aid.

Rome is passing on an EU mechanism that could have unlocked roughly €12 billion in extra defense spending, choosing instead to focus on energy bills, inflation, and fiscal credibility ahead of elections.

Australia says it will raise defense spending to 3% of GDP in the coming years, while reaffirming the United States as its principal strategic partner and warning of a harsher security environment

Estonia plans to halt a €500 million infantry fighting vehicle program and extend the life of its CV90 fleet, redirecting attention toward drones, air defense, and unmanned systems shaped by lessons from Ukraine.

France has proposed a major update to its military planning law, adding €36 billion over four years while signaling a possible stopgap tank program to bridge the gap before the delayed MGCS enters service.

NATO says allies collectively need up to $145 billion in missiles, bombs, drones, and air defense capacity, underscoring how fast procurement has become the alliance’s central security problem.

The Trump administration says it will send its fiscal 2027 budget request to Congress on April 3, with major unanswered questions still hanging over defense toplines, supplemental war funding, and reconciliation money.

Norway wants to add 115 billion krone to its long-term defense plan through 2035, accelerating munitions and naval procurement while canceling a drone program amid mounting pressure on European security.