Common Dreams

'An Arsenal of Profiteering': Military Contractors Have Gotten Over Half of Pentagon Spending Since 2020

WION

'War and weapons' over welfare? Report exposes Pentagon's $2.4 trillion 'wealth transfer' to private contractors

Guardian

Pentagon provided $2.4tn to private arms firms to fund war and weapons, report finds

Jacobin

The Military-Industrial Complex Has Never Been Worse

Defense News

The US militarys edge is at stake in the funding fight

OpenSecrets

Indus

Congress

R4775

Foreign Policy In Focus

Not Your Grandfathers Military-Industrial Complex

Lloyd Austin

Mark Milley

Mike Minihan

Jacob Thornburg

Michael Brenner

Finian Cunningham

Scott Ritter

Ray Dalio

Kevin Rudd

Zhao Tong

Stanislaw Koziej

Robert S. Ross

Charles C. Krulak

Michael C. Horowitz

Joseph S. Nye

Qin Gang

Frank Kendall III

Thomas L. Friedman

Marco J. Lyons

Global Times

Metaculus

"I argue that war is unlikely to occur due to the deep economic ties underlying the great power politics between the two countries."

"War with either [Russia or China] is neither inevitable nor imminent."

"As things currently stand, the US is not prepared to fight and win a war with China over Taiwan."

"A war between the US and China today is no more inevitable than was war between the rising US and the declining United Kingdom a century ago."

"[T]he tension between the United States and China will grow, and competition will intensify; it is inevitable. War, however, is not."

"War is a risk, but it is not inevitable."

"The risk of a military conflict is very serious."

"The smallest misstep by either side [Taipei and Beijing] could ignite a U.S.-China war."

"China is preparing for a war and specifically for a war with the United States."

"The most proximate potential timeframe for war is in the next two years."

"My gut tells me we [the US] will fight [with China] in 2025."

Will There Be a US-China War?

Donald Trump

Nikki Haley

Jens Stoltenberg

Thomas Gift

Ron Filipkowski

J.D. Vance

Randall Stone

Dan Caldwell

Kori Schake

Charles Kupchan

John Bolton

Mark Esper

James G. Stavridis

"I doubt President Trump will withdraw from NATO."

"I do not expect Trump to withdraw from NATO."

"Donald Trump wants NATO to be strong. He wants us to remain in NATO."

America's there "100 percent [if NATO allies pay their fair share]."

"He might try to pull the United States out of NATO."

"In a second Trump term, we'd almost certainly withdraw from NATO."

Trump "talked many times about getting out of NATO behind closed doors and publicly. So that's just a fact."

"Trump is setting up the pretext for cutting off aid to Ukraine and pulling the US out of NATO."

Will the US Pull Out of NATO?

<h2>Editor's Note</h2>

According to a new report from the Costs of War Project at Brown University and the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, private military contractors received $2.4 trillion in Pentagon contracts from 2020 to 2024 — approximately 54% of the Department of Defense's $4.4 trillion discretionary spending during that period.

According to a new report from the Costs of War Project at Brown University and the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, private military contractors received $2.4 trillion in Pentagon contracts from 2020 to 2024 — approximately 54% of the Department of Defense's $4.4 trillion discretionary spending during that period.

The report, published on Tuesday, found that five major defense contractors — Lockheed Martin, RTX (formerly Raytheon), Boeing, General Dynamics, and Northrop Grumman — secured $771 billion in Pentagon contracts between 2020 and 2024, with Lockheed Martin receiving the largest share, at $313 billion.

Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft

The report, published on Tuesday, found that five major defense contractors — Lockheed Martin, RTX (formerly Raytheon), Boeing, General Dynamics, and Northrop Grumman — secured $771 billion in Pentagon contracts between 2020 and 2024, with Lockheed Martin receiving the largest share, at $313 billion.

Military spending outpaced diplomatic and humanitarian investments, with the government spending over twice as much on the five largest weapons companies ($771 billion) as on diplomacy, development, and humanitarian aid combined ($356 billion) from 2020 to 2024.

The Costs of War

Military spending outpaced diplomatic and humanitarian investments, with the government spending over twice as much on the five largest weapons companies ($771 billion) as on diplomacy, development, and humanitarian aid combined ($356 billion) from 2020 to 2024.

The arms industry employed 950 lobbyists as of 2024 — an increase of 220 lobbyists since 2020 — and contributed more than $83 million to political candidates over the past two election cycles, with the funds concentrated among members of the Armed Services Committee.

Watson

The arms industry employed 950 lobbyists as of 2024 — an increase of 220 lobbyists since 2020 — and contributed more than $83 million to political candidates over the past two election cycles, with the funds concentrated among members of the Armed Services Committee.

The percentage of Pentagon spending allocated to contractors has increased from 41% during the 1990s to 54% since 2020. According to statistics gathered by the National Defense Industrial Association, direct jobs in arms manufacturing declined from 3.2 million in the 1980s to approximately one million currently.

The percentage of Pentagon spending allocated to contractors has increased from 41% during the 1990s to 54% since 2020. According to statistics gathered by the National Defense Industrial Association, direct jobs in arms manufacturing declined from 3.2 million in the 1980s to approximately one million currently.

According to the research findings, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.verity.news/story/2025/trump-signs-sweeping-tax-and-spending-bill-into-law">the Trump administration's "One Big Beautiful Bill Act"</a> added $156 billion to military spending, pushing the 2025 military budget to $1.06 trillion and representing a 99% increase since 2000 when adjusted for inflation.

According to the research findings, the Trump administration's "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" added $156 billion to military spending, pushing the 2025 military budget to $1.06 trillion and representing a 99% increase since 2000 when adjusted for inflation.

Common Dreams #

WION #

Guardian #

Jacobin #

Defense News #

OpenSecrets #

Congress #

Foreign Policy In Focus #

Five major defense contractors - Lockheed Martin, RTX (formerly Raytheon), Boeing, General Dynamics, and Northrop Grumman - secured $771 billion in Pentagon contracts between 2020 and 2024, with Lockheed Martin receiving the largest share at $313 billion during this timeframe.</span

Five major defense contractors - Lockheed Martin, RTX (formerly Raytheon), Boeing, General Dynamics, and Northrop Grumman - secured $771 billion in Pentagon contracts between 2020 and 2024, with Lockheed Martin receiving the largest share at $313 billion during this timeframe.

The Trump administration's "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" added $156 billion to military spending, pushing the 2025 military budget to $1.06 trillion and representing a 99% increase since 2000 when adjusted for inflation, according to the research findings.</span

The Trump administration's "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" added $156 billion to military spending, pushing the 2025 military budget to $1.06 trillion and representing a 99% increase since 2000 when adjusted for inflation, according to the research findings.

Military spending significantly outpaced diplomatic and humanitarian investments, with the government spending over twice as much on the five largest weapons companies ($771 billion) as on diplomacy, development, and humanitarian aid combined ($356 billion) from 2020-2024.</span

Military spending significantly outpaced diplomatic and humanitarian investments, with the government spending over twice as much on the five largest weapons companies ($771 billion) as on diplomacy, development, and humanitarian aid combined ($356 billion) from 2020-2024.

The arms industry employed 950 lobbyists as of 2024, representing an increase of 220 lobbyists since 2020, while contributing more than $83 million to political candidates over the past two election cycles, with funds concentrated among armed services committee members.</span

The arms industry employed 950 lobbyists as of 2024, representing an increase of 220 lobbyists since 2020, while contributing more than $83 million to political candidates over the past two election cycles, with funds concentrated among armed services committee members.

The percentage of Pentagon spending allocated to contractors has increased from 41% during the 1990s to 54% since 2020, while direct jobs in arms manufacturing declined from 3.2 million in the 1980s to one million currently despite record funding levels.</span

The percentage of Pentagon spending allocated to contractors has increased from 41% during the 1990s to 54% since 2020, while direct jobs in arms manufacturing declined from 3.2 million in the 1980s to one million currently despite record funding levels.

Strong defense spending ensures national security in an increasingly dangerous world, with China posing significant military threats that require advanced weapons systems and technological superiority. The defense industry provides crucial jobs across 48 states and maintains America's military edge against adversaries who continue to expand their own capabilities.

Strong defense spending ensures national security in an increasingly dangerous world, with China posing significant military threats that require advanced weapons systems and technological superiority. The defense industry provides crucial jobs across 48 states and maintains America's military edge against adversaries who continue to expand their own capabilities.

Pentagon Contractors Receive $2.4 Trillion Over Five Years

United States of America

Military

Weapons

This massive transfer of taxpayer wealth to private contractors represents profiteering disguised as national security. The military-industrial complex has created an "arsenal of profiteering" that prioritizes corporate profits over genuine defense needs, wasting billions on dysfunctional weapons systems while neglecting diplomacy and humanitarian aid.

This massive transfer of taxpayer wealth to private contractors represents profiteering disguised as national security. The military-industrial complex has created an "arsenal of profiteering" that prioritizes corporate profits over genuine defense needs, wasting billions on dysfunctional weapons systems while neglecting diplomacy and humanitarian aid.

SOFREP

US Defense Spending: Ensuring National Security or Draining Resources?

Strong defense spending is essential for national security in an increasingly complex and dangerous world, where China poses significant military threats that necessitate advanced weapons systems and technological superiority. The defense industry provides crucial jobs across 48 states and maintains America's military edge against adversaries who continue to expand their capabilities.

Strong defense spending is essential for national security in an increasingly complex and dangerous world, where China poses significant military threats that necessitate advanced weapons systems and technological superiority. The defense industry provides crucial jobs across 48 states and maintains America's military edge against adversaries who continue to expand their capabilities.

New York Post

Unless we spike military spending — and FAST — the next major war could be catastrophic

There's a 3% chance that any country's military expenditure will exceed that of the U.S. before 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

There's a 3% chance that any country's military expenditure will exceed that of the U.S. before 2030, according to the Metaculus prediction community.

Metaculus2

Will any country's military expenditure exceed that of the United States before 2030?

Wikimedia Commons

Report: Pentagon Contractors Received $2.4T Over Five Years

Wikimedia Commons

Report: Pentagon Contractors Received $2.4T Over Five Years

Report: Pentagon Contractors Received $2.4T Over Five Years

Report: Pentagon Contractors ReceiveReceived $2.44T Trillion Over Five Years

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Metaculus Prediction

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Schake

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Report: Pentagon Contractors Received $2.4T Over Five Years

Report: Pentagon Contractors ReceiveReceived $2.44T Trillion Over Five Years

The Spin

Metaculus Prediction

Editor's Note

The Controversies

Thornburg

Milley

Ritter

Krulak

Rudd

Nye

Tong

Friedman

III

Horowitz

Minihan

Schake

Kupchan

Vance

Trump

Stone

Bolton

Haley

Filipkowski

Articles on this story

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