The U.S. proposes to spend $272 billion on defence for the 2022 fiscal, which includes higher pay for troops and more spending on the nuclear arsenal. So nearly $3 billion will be diverted away from modernising older equipment and that could be achieved by retiring four Littoral Combat Ships, 42 A-10 ground attack aircraft and 28 mid-air refueller aircraft.
The focus will be on buying 85 F-35 jets, spending more on the Space Force and on testing and developing hypersonic weapons. More than $5 billion will be spent on the Pacific Deterrence Initiative (set up with China in mind) which will range from sophisticated new radars to missiles and satellites.
The biggest gainer will be the nuclear forces, with the Biden administration proposing to spend nearly $28 billion in modernising land-launched nuclear missiles and ballistic missile submarines and aircraft.
