Re:Darpa invests $100M in a silicon compiler
by adventured on Friday June 29, 2018 @06:18PM
(#17428281)
The large US defense budget is almost entirely due to human costs.
The US has one of the highest median incomes on earth. Now combine that with the large human force that the US military has. The bases, veterans, healthcare, various benefits, retirement, equipment for the humans, salaries, and on it goes.
For example missiles + munition costs are a mere 2% of the military budget. Shipbuilding and maritime systems is a mere 3%. Aircraft and related systems is 5.x%. R&D is about 9%.
The budget related to operating the bases, maintenance, salaries, benefits, vets, and all other related human costs = $500 billion.
There's a strong argument that if you adjust China's military spending to factor in the difference in income / per capita costs for human soldiers vs the US (basically PPP adjusted), that China outspends the US already (and that's with an economy 1/3 smaller):
The US has one of the highest median incomes on earth. Now combine that with the large human force that the US military has. The bases, veterans, healthcare, various benefits, retirement, equipment for the humans, salaries, and on it goes.
For example missiles + munition costs are a mere 2% of the military budget. Shipbuilding and maritime systems is a mere 3%. Aircraft and related systems is 5.x%. R&D is about 9%.
The budget related to operating the bases, maintenance, salaries, benefits, vets, and all other related human costs = $500 billion.
There's a strong argument that if you adjust China's military spending to factor in the difference in income / per capita costs for human soldiers vs the US (basically PPP adjusted), that China outspends the US already (and that's with an economy 1/3 smaller):
https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2018-05-25/china-out...