US drives world military spending to new high

Military spending reached 1.118 trillion dollars (885 billion euros) in 2005, or 173 dollars for every person on earth. This was an increase of 3.4 percent from 2004, it said in its annual report.

Most of the annual rise was due to increased US spending, which was boosted by conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, but also by the effects of hurricanes Katrina and Rita which hit the United States last year.

"We see a clear rise in arms production, arms trade, as well as a big increase in military expenditure," SIPRI director Alyson Bailes told AFP.

The USA is responsible for 48 percent of the world total, distantly followed by the UK, France, Japan and China with four to five percent each, SIPRI noted.

US President George W. Bush's "proclivity" to use military force appeared undiminished and was restrained only by its costly presence in Iraq.

"The Bush administration's proclivity to use force unilaterally seems unchanged, but the Iraqi turmoil prevents it from going beyond occasional hints of further 'pre-emptive' use of force," SIPRI said.

Rising world prices of minerals and fossil fuels freed up resources for military spending in producer countries, boosting purchases by Algeria, Azerbaijan, Russia and Saudi Arabia.

China and India, as emerging economic world powers, also contributed to the spending spree although their purchases were still just a fraction of that of the United States, SIPRI said.

Russia remained the world's top supplier of weapons, a spot it has held since 2001, accounting for around 30 percent of worldwide weapons sales, followed by the United States, France, Germany and Britain.