Since the war in Afghanistan began, Pentagon spending has exceeded $14 trillion, with military contractors receiving between one-third to one-half of these funds. A significant share of this, roughly one-quarter to one-third of recent Pentagon contracts, has been funneled to five major corporations: Lockheed Martin, Boeing, General Dynamics, Raytheon, and Northrop Grumman. In fiscal year 2020 alone, Lockheed Martin secured $75 billion in Pentagon contracts, a sum that dwarfs the combined $44 billion budget of the State Department and the Agency for International Development.

Over the past two decades, weapons manufacturers have invested $2.5 billion in lobbying efforts, employing an average of over 700 lobbyists annually—more than one per member of Congress. This substantial influence has facilitated favorable conditions for these companies, enabling them to overcharge the government or even commit outright fraud. The 2011 Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan estimated that waste, fraud, and abuse in these contracts ranged from $31 billion to $60 billion.

As the U.S. scales back its military presence in Iraq and Afghanistan, the military-industrial complex shifts its focus to the perceived threat from China, ensuring that Pentagon budgets remain inflated and contractors continue to reap enormous profits.