US defence

US President Joe Biden's administration has requested $752.9bn from Congress for national defence spending, of which $715bn should go to the Pentagon. This was stated in a DOD statement released on Friday.

The DOD stressed that the budget request "reflects President Biden's priorities of ending endless wars, investing in advanced capabilities for future military and national security advantages, and revitalising the unparalleled network of alliances and partnerships in the US". The United States now faces "serious challenges from countries such as China and Russia, as well as global security threats such as climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic", the statement said. This budget, the defence establishment stressed, is designed to address these challenges.

The Pentagon said the 2022 budget will be 1.6 percent higher than the 2021 budget ($703.7 billion). The budget lines for the Navy, Air Force and Army will increase, including those for nuclear weapons and countering cyber threats. It is supposed to allot $27.7 billion for the development and modernization of nuclear capabilities, $5 billion of which will be meant for the Columbia project nuclear submarine program and $3 billion for financing the B-21 program of long-range strategic bombers.

The Pentagon will spend $20.4bn on missile defence, another $20.6bn on space systems, including space launches and modernisation of the GPS navigation system, and $10.4bn on cyber security. The DOD expects to get $500m to fight the new coronavirus pandemic.