Washington, November 04: US has spent roughly USD 1 trillion on new weapons since the 9/11 attacks, using the money that were supposed to be spent on US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"The services capitalized on funding to modernize their forces, especially the major weapons programs that constitute the heart of the services' capabilities," a new report by Stimson Center said on Thursday.
Twenty two percent of the roughly USD 1 trillion spent on weapons since 9/11 comes from "supplemental" war funding, which are voted on separately from the regular defense budget.
The bills are primarily intended to keep day-to-day operations running in Iraq and Afghanistan, meaning that if a member of Congress votes against a supplemental spending bill, the lawmaker will be exposed to charges of not "supporting the troops" in harm's way.
"After reviewing what procurement funding bought in the past decade, it is clear the military successfully modernized its capabilities, especially in building on existing systems and incorporating those not even anticipated," the report said.
The debt ceiling legislation, which was signed into law by US President Barack Obama, contains USD 350 billion in defense cuts.
Leon Panetta, the US defense secretary, has warned that the potential defense cuts were "completely unacceptable" and would damage US security, and the ability to protect the nation.
Capitol Hill conservatives and Pentagon are fighting cuts to defense spending, arguing that the military is limping off the battlefield with decrepit hardware.
The Pentagon's budget for fiscal year 2010 was USD 680 billion, a reminder of the vast size and reach of America's global military power.
------Agencies
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