Here is a military spending list. It is very interesting.

Country Military expenditures - dollar figure Budget Period

World $850 billion 2003 est. [see Note 5]

United States $379.9 billion FY04 request
China $65 billion 2002 [see Note 1]
Russia $50 billion [see Note 6]
France $46.5 billion 2000
Japan $40.7 billion FY01
Germany $38.8 billion 2002
United Kingdom $31.7 billion 2002
Italy $20.2 billion 2002
Saudi Arabia $18.3 billion FY00
Brazil $13.408 billion FY99
Korea, South $12.8 billion FY00
India $12,079.7 million FY01
Iran $9.7 billion FY00
Australia $9.3 billion FY01/02 est.
Israel $8.97 billion FY02
Spain $8.6 billion 2002
Taiwan $8,041.2 million FY01
Turkey $8.1 billion 2002 est.
Canada $7,860.5 million FY01/02
Netherlands $6.5 billion FY00/01 est.
Greece $6.12 billion FY99/00 est.
Korea, North $5,124.1 million FY01
Singapore $4.47 billion FY01/02 est.
Sweden $4,395.1 million FY01
Argentina $4.3 billion FY99
Egypt $4.04 billion FY99/00
Mexico $4 billion FY99
Poland $3.5 billion 2002
Colombia $3.3 billion FY01
Norway $3.113 billion FY98/99
Belgium $3,076.5 million FY01/02
Switzerland $2.548 billion FY01
Pakistan $2,545.5 million FY01
Chile $2.5 billion FY99
Denmark $2.47 billion FY99/00
Oman $2,424.4 million FY01
Kuwait $1,967.3 million FY01 [see Note 3]
Algeria $1.87 billion FY99
Finland $1.8 billion FY98/99
South Africa $1.79 billion FY01
Thailand $1.775 billion FY00
Malaysia $1.69 billion FY00 est.
United Arab Emirates $1.6 billion FY00
Austria $1,497.1 million FY01/02
Morocco $1.4 billion FY99/00
Iraq $1.3 billion FY00
Libya $1.3 billion FY99/00
Portugal $1.286 billion FY99/00
Angola $1.2 billion FY97
Czech Republic $1,190.2 million FY01
Hungary $1.08 billion 2002 est.
Indonesia $1 billion FY98/99
Peru $1 billion FY01
Philippines $995 million FY98
Romania $985 million 2002
Venezuela $934 million FY99
Syria $921 million FY00 est. [see Note 4]
Ethiopia $800 million FY00
Jordan $757.5 million FY01
Qatar $723 million FY00/01
Ecuador $720 million FY98
Sri Lanka $719 million FY98
Ireland $700 million FY00/01
Serbia and Montenegro $654 million 2002
Vietnam $650 million FY98
Cuba $630 million 1999 [see Note 7]
Sudan $581 million 2001 est.
Bangladesh $559 million FY96/97
Bahrain $526.2 million FY01
Croatia $520 million 2002 est.
New Zealand $515.6 million 2002 est.
Ukraine $500 million FY99
Yemen $482.5 million FY01
Slovakia $406 million 2002
Nigeria $374.9 million FY01
Cyprus $370 million FY00
Slovenia $370 million FY00
Bulgaria $356 million FY02
Tunisia $356 million FY99
Zimbabwe $350.6 million FY01
Brunei $343 million FY98
Lebanon $343 million FY99/00
Congo, Democratic Republic of the $250 million FY97
Uruguay $250 million 1999
Lithuania $230.8 million FY01
Macedonia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of $200 million FY01/02 est.
Uzbekistan $200 million FY97
New Caledonia $192.3 million FY96
Dominican Republic $180 million FY98
Kenya $179.2 million FY01
Kazakhstan $173 million FY01 [see Note 2]
Belarus $156 million FY98
Estonia $155 million 2002 est.
Luxembourg $147.8 million FY01/02
Bolivia $147 million FY99
Eritrea $138.3 million FY01
Guinea $137.6 million FY01
Armenia $135 million FY01
Botswana $135 million FY01/02
Panama $128 million FY99
Cote d'Ivoire $127.7 million FY01
Paraguay $125 million FY98
Uganda $121.3 million FY01
Azerbaijan $121 million FY99
Guatemala $120 million FY99
Cameroon $118.6 million FY00/01
Cambodia $112 million FY01 est.
El Salvador $112 million FY99
Namibia $104.4 million 2001
Trinidad and Tobago $90 million 1999
Turkmenistan $90 million FY99
Malawi $9.5 million FY00/01
Bhutan $9.3 million FY01
Cape Verde $9.3 million FY01
Mauritius $9.1 million FY01
Latvia $87 million FY01
Congo, Republic of the $84 million FY01
Gabon $70.8 million FY01
Costa Rica $69 million FY99
Senegal $68.6 million FY02
Malta $60 million 2000 est.
Rwanda $58 million FY01
Albania $56.5 million FY02
Laos $55 million FY98
Nepal $51.5 million FY01
Haiti $50 million FY00
Mali $50 million FY01
Madagascar $48.7 million FY01
Papua New Guinea $42 million FY98
Burkina Faso $40.1 million FY01
Burma $39 million FY97/98
Mauritania $37.1 million FY01
Burundi $36.9 million FY01
Tajikistan $35.4 million FY01
Ghana $35.2 million FY01
Mozambique $35.1 million 2000 est.
Fiji $35 million FY00
Honduras $35 million FY99
Maldives $34.5 million FY01
Lesotho $34 million 1999
Zambia $32.5 million FY01
Chad $31 million FY01
Jamaica $30 million FY95/96 est.
Central African Republic $29 million FY96
Equatorial Guinea $27.5 million FY01
Benin $27 million FY96
Djibouti $26.5 million FY01
Nicaragua $26 million FY98
Mongolia $24.3 million FY01
Georgia $23 million FY00
Togo $21.9 million FY01
Niger $20.9 million FY01
Bahamas, The $20 million FY95/96
Swaziland $20 million FY01/02
Kyrgyzstan $19.2 million FY01
Tanzania $19 million FY01
Somalia $15.3 million FY01
Seychelles $11 million FY01
Sierra Leone $10.3 million FY01
Liberia $7.8 million FY01
Belize $7.7 million FY00/01
Comoros $6 million FY01
Moldova $6 million FY01
Guinea-Bissau $5.6 million FY01
East Timor $4.4 million FY03
Bermuda $4,027,970 January 2002
Gambia, The $1.2 million FY01
San Marino $700,000 FY00/01
Sao Tome and Principe $400,000 FY01
Iceland 0
Afghanistan $NA
Antigua and Barbuda $NA
Barbados $NA
Bosnia and Herzegovina $NA
Dominica $NA
Falkland Islands [Islas Malvinas] $NA
Faroe Islands $NA
French Guiana $NA
Gaza Strip $NA
Grenada $NA
Guyana $NA
Kiribati $NA
Marshall Islands $NA
Nauru $NA
Palau $NA
Saint Kitts and Nevis $NA
Saint Lucia $NA
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines $NA
Samoa $NA
Solomon Islands $NA
Suriname $NA
Tonga $NA
Tuvalu $NA
Vanuatu $NA
West Bank $NA
Western Sahara $NA
SOURCE [unless otherwise noted]: Field Listing - Military expenditures CIA - The World Factbook 2002 -- The Military expenditures dollar figure entry gives current military expenditures in US dollars; the figure is calculated by multiplying the estimated defense spending in percentage terms by the gross domestic product (GDP) calculated on an exchange rate basis not purchasing power parity (PPP) terms. Dollar figures for military expenditures should be treated with caution because of different price patterns and accounting methods among nations, as well as wide variations in the strength of their currencies.
World Military Expenditures and Arms Transfers (WMEAT) The 28th edition of "World Military Expenditures and Arms Transfers" (WMEAT), released on February 6, 2003, is the second published by the Department of State following integration with the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, the previous publisher. The report covers the years 1989 through 1999 -- that is, the end of the Cold War and its aftermath.
SIPRI data on military expenditure

Note 1 - Ths officially announced figure is $20.048 billion, but actual defense spending more likely ranges from $45 billion to $85 billion for 2002
Note 2 - Ministry of Defense expenditures
Note 3 - Kuwait is changing its fiscal year; the above figure is for July-March 2001; future budget years will be April-March annually
Note 4 - based on official budget data that may understate actual spending
Note 5 - Non-US aggregate real expenditure on arms worldwide in 2003 remained at approximately the 1998 level, about half a trillion dollars. US spending increased from about $280 billion to about $380 billion.
Note 6 - CIA & SIPRI provide no estimates
Note 7 - WMEAT 1999 estimate, CIA & SIPRI provide no estimates

Russia is spending 50 billion $,
More than Germany, France or GB.

Doesnt seem to me that they are "broke".

Surely did USSR spend as much that did US back in cold-war..

But lets remember that Russia today has "only" half of the area and population of the former USSR.

Japan is a rich nation that has very good defence forces and equipment. and has around 140-150 million people living in there like Russia also has 140-150 million, and yet Russians are spendin more than 10 billion more than Japanese..

Now thell me just how "broke" Russia really is?

Ill make this one easy, they really arent "broke" at all.. watch your backs

Dont let US gov. propaganda about "weak Russia" to get to you.

[Edited on 7-9-2003 by FULCRUM]

ok...
I know that you know this jet....
But GNP plays a major part in this.
China's money value is so undervalued that they are actually spending double shown....roughly 130 billion.

regards
seekerof