Asia To Lead World Arms Spending By 2016

From Defense Talk:

Singapore: Asia is expected to outstrip the rest of the world in defence spending within seven years as China and India upgrade their armed forces, a research consultancy said here Thursday.

Asia's overall defence budget will account for 32 percent of global military spending by 2016, or 480 billion US dollars, up from 24 percent in 2007, Frost and Sullivan's regional director for defence practice Ratan Shrivastava said.

North America, the biggest defence spender in 2007 with 39 percent of the world arms market, will see its share fall to 29 percent or 435 billion dollars, he said at a conference organised by the company.

Read more ....

My Comment: One should not be surprised. While the focus is on arms agreements with Russia and the small dirty wars that occur in Afghanistan or Iraq, the real weapons procurement and growth will be Asia.

With more than half of the world's population, the fastest growing economy, and a very long history of conflict and warfare .... it is only natural that these countries will revert to their past positions of powerful armies and political/economic conflict.