The race to rearmament

$1.98T

The total world military spending in 2020, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Military spending accounted for 2.4 percent of world gross domestic product last year, up from 2.2 percent in 2019. The figures paint a picture of a world rearming after a slump in defense spending after the end of the Cold War. The growth of Chinese military spending led to the creation of a new security alliance between the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom and renewed interest in an older partnership known as “the Quad” between democratic Pacific nations including the United States, Australia, Japan, and India.

8

The number of nuclear-powered attack submarines Australia says it plans to build after announcing a security partnership with the United States and the United Kingdom on Sept. 16.

105

The number of Lockheed F-35 fighter jets the United States authorized Japan to purchase in 2020.

26

The number of consecutive years China has increased defense spending.

$3.4B

The single-unit cost of a new American Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarine

2

The number of aircraft carriers currently operated by the Chinese navy, with a third under construction.