War Dogs

The 2016 film War Dogs begins with David Packouz stating that war is an economy. The United States may have a trillion dollar trade deficit, which the new President wishes to rectify, but one sector in which the country does successfully export is defence. In the period 2019-2023 the United States accounted for 42% of world arms exports. It took share from the previous five year period, as Russia and Ukraine internally consumed weapons in the emergent conflict, and other countries such as Turkey, Italy, and Poland all grew their exports significantly. The shifting geopolitical landscape suggests that these shares may further evolve, as countries increase their spending – the EU average and current NATO target is 2% of GDP. Countries may both seek to substitute imports, and spend more efficiently as consumer technology is used in combat, as has been observed with the use of civilian drones in Ukraine.

Source: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, 2025.