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Trump advocates for increased military spending
02:45 - Source: CNN
CNN  — 

US President Donald Trump has announced he wants a $54 billion increase in defense spending in his first budget, taking the country’s total military expenses to over $600 billion.

Military spending by the United States already totaled as much as the next seven nearest countries’ military spending combined in 2014.

In fact, Trump’s proposed defense spending surge is more than a fifth of China’s estimated military budget for 2020, about $233 billion, and almost a quarter of what Beijing is spending now.

Here’s what other countries could buy with a spare $54 billion:

Aircraft carriers for the UK

Britain’s Royal Navy is expected to commission HMS Queen Elizabeth this year.

The Royal Navy calls the 65,000-ton Queen Elizabeth and its under-construction twin, HMS Prince of Wales, the most powerful warships ever constructed for the British fleet.

The aircraft carriers will carry F-35 fighter jets, which can hold 15,000 pounds of armaments over a range of 450 miles.

Destroyers for South Korea

Aegis destroyers provide missile defense capabilities, something of great importance in South Korea as North Korea ramps up its development capabilities.

The Aegis missile defense system could in theory link with Aegis systems deployed on US and Japanese warships to increase defense in East Asia.

South Korea currently has three “Sejong the Great”-class guided missile destroyers in its fleet.

Transports for Australia

The Royal Australian Air Force has eight of the four-engine, US-built transports in its fleet.

The C-17 can carry up to 77 tons of cargo over 6,400 miles, including tanks and helicopters.

The transports have been key for supplying Australian forces in Afghanistan and the Middle East as well as helping in humanitarian relief efforts around Asia and the Pacific. Australia has eight C-17s so far.

Jet fighters for India

India has been looking to upgrade its jet fighter fleet and last year Lockheed Martin offered to bring world production of the F-16 to India.

India was likely to pay $65 million to $80 million per plane, according to media reports.

The F-16 has been a backbone of the US Air Force for years, with more than 1,000 in the USAF fleet.

Tanks for Russia

Russia’s new main battle tank, the Armata T-14, has been drawing rave reviews since it was unveiled in 2015.

The tank – which carries a 125mm cannon and 7.62mm remote-control machine gun – is expected to go into mass production next year.

The Armata tanks are expected to cost $3.7 million each when in full production, less than half of what rival US Abrams tanks cost.