DefenceTalkThe military service chiefs today unanimously named budget uncertainty and reduced funding levels leading to gaps in readiness as their most critical long-term budgetary challenges. Testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee were Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John M. Richardson, Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-military-chiefs-budget-uncertainty-funding-levels-are-biggest-challenges-68176/

DefenceTalkJapan’s defense ministry requested a record budget on Wednesday, with funds for an anti-ship missile system to defend islands at the center of a territorial dispute with China. Tokyo is determined to defend the uninhabited islets in the East China Sea — administered by Japan as the Senkakus but claimed by China as the Diaoyus […]https://www.defencetalk.com/japan-eyes-record-defense-budget-to-develop-anti-ship-missiles-68077/

DefenceTalkThe head of the military alliance Jens Stoltenberg has described the new trend in defense spending as “real progress.” But like most members, Germany has yet to hit NATO’s goal of spending 2 percent of GDP on defense. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Monday said “our estimates for 2016 show a further increase” in […]https://www.defencetalk.com/defense-spending-shows-further-increase-in-2016-says-nato-chief-67654/

DefenceTalkDespite being the tenth largest arms importer in the world last year, Pakistan did not make it to a list of 15 countries with the highest military expenditure in 2015, compiled by a military think tank. Pakistan spent $9.5 billion on military expenses, up from its expenditure of $8.7 billion in 2014, according to data […]https://www.defencetalk.com/india-worlds-sixth-largest-military-spender-report-67197/

DefenceTalkChina on Saturday announced the country’s lowest defense budget increase in six years in the wake of rising economic headwinds and last year’s massive drawdown of service people. According to a budget report to the national legislature annual session, the government plans to raise the 2016 defense budget by 7.6 percent to 954 billion yuan […]https://www.defencetalk.com/china-announces-defense-budget-rise-66962/

DefenceTalk“The Army must produce units ready today to win decisively … against an aggressive Russia or its surrogates,” said Acting Secretary of the Army Patrick Murphy. Murphy and Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Mark A. Milley testified, March 3, at a House Committee on Appropriations, Defense subcommittee hearing about the proposed fiscal year […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-army-budget-focuses-on-asymmetric-threats-66949/

DefenceTalkChina will raise its defense spending by 7.6 percent this year, a budget report to the country’s Communist-controlled parliament showed on Saturday, a smaller increase than past years as it seeks a more efficient military. It was the “lowest defense budget increase in six years”, the official news agency Xinhua said, adding it came “in […]https://www.defencetalk.com/china-raises-2016-defence-spending-by-7-6-percent-66946/

DefenceTalkThe Army would like to see a few more Soldiers in the ranks, if it were authorized by Congress — but only if those additional Soldiers are funded to keep them war-ready, said Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Mark A. Milley. The Army has been directed to reduce its total end strength, across […]https://www.defencetalk.com/increased-manpower-must-come-with-funding-us-army-66874/

DefenceTalkThe Pentagon plans to spend an additional $900 million in the coming year to boost cyber defense measures, Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said Thursday. US officials are still reeling from last year’s revelation that personal data from some 20 million federal employees, contractors and others had been hacked in a massive breach at the Office […]https://www.defencetalk.com/pentagon-boosts-spending-to-fight-cyber-attacks-66866/

DefenceTalkAustralia unveiled a massive new investment in the nation’s defence capabilities on Thursday to address what Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called “high stakes” and “momentous times” in Asia. Citing increased defence spending around the region and potential flashpoints in the South China Sea and the Korean peninsula, he said the government was committed to combating […]https://www.defencetalk.com/australia-unveils-massive-increase-in-defence-spending-66847/