Southeast Asia’s Arms Race Continues

Felix Heiduk, East Asia Forum/Asia Sentinel: Southeast Asia’s Arms Race

While countries in many parts of the world are reducing their military spending, Southeast Asian countries are bucking the trend. Total defense spending of ASEAN states doubled over the last 15 years in absolute terms, with countries like Indonesia and Thailand witnessing military expenditure growth rates of 10 percent on a year-by-year basis.

Tightly interlinked with this rise in defense spending is an increase in arms procurements. Several Southeast Asian countries are going on arms spending sprees and buying new frigates, tanks, helicopters, fighter jets and submarines. Vietnam’s arms imports increased by almost 700 percent over the last decade, shifting Hanoi from the world’s 43rd largest arms buyer to the top 10.

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WNU Editor: China's South China Sea claims has spooked almost everyone. And here is an easy prediction .... this arms buildup is not going to stop in the foreseeable future.