Defense & Military
Department of Defense and National Security
Quick Facts
FY 2024 Budget
$874 Billion
Active Military
1.3 Million
Personnel
Military Bases
750+
In 80+ countries
% of World Military Spending
39%
More than next 10 combined
Where Defense Spending Goes
Military Personnel (22% - $169B)
Pay and allowances for 1.3 million active-duty troops and 330,000 reserve forces. Includes basic pay, housing allowances, food allowances, and special pay.
Operations & Maintenance (40% - $334B)
Day-to-day operations: training, fuel, repairs, utilities, civilian employees, base operations, logistics, and healthcare for military families.
Procurement (19% - $167B)
New weapons and equipment: aircraft, ships, vehicles, missiles, ammunition. Major programs include F-35 fighters, Virginia-class submarines, and B-21 bombers.
Research & Development (17% - $145B)
Development of future weapons systems, cyber capabilities, space systems, artificial intelligence, hypersonic weapons, and missile defense.
Military Construction (2% - $21B)
Building and maintaining military bases, barracks, hospitals, and family housing.
Budget by Service Branch
Air Force & Space Force
$264.8B
Aircraft, satellites, cyber operations
Navy & Marine Corps
$255.8B
Ships, submarines, naval aviation
Army
$185.9B
Ground forces, vehicles, helicopters
Defense Agencies
$146.9B
Missile defense, special ops, intelligence
U.S. Defense in Global Context
The U.S. spends more on defense than the next 10 countries combined:
- United States: $916 billion
- China: $296 billion (estimated)
- Russia: $109 billion
- India: $83 billion
- Saudi Arabia: $75 billion
- United Kingdom: $74 billion
- Germany: $67 billion
- France: $61 billion
- Japan: $54 billion
- Ukraine: $51 billion
Major Weapons Programs
83 aircraft in FY2024
Nuclear ballistic missile submarine
Next-generation stealth bomber
Ground, sea, and space-based systems