Even as Biden looks to placate Republicans with cost cuts, he’s expanding already record funding for the defense industry

(Originally published March 10 in “What in the World“) Russia unleashed some of its new hypersonic missiles on Ukraine in its latest barrage. The Kinzhal missiles are fired from MiG-31 fighter jets, and Russian forces fired six of their estimated 50 Kinzhals. So, it’s unclear yet if their deployment represents a troubling escalation that finally brings Russia’s air force meaningfully into the war, or whether Moscow is getting desperate as stockpiles of less-advanced ammunition run low.

U.S. President Joe Biden is looking for ways to appease Republican cost-cutters in Congress, but the military won’t go wanting. Biden’s newly proposed budget proposes, in addition to new taxes on the wealthy, boosting 2023’s record defense budget by another 3%, to $886.4 billion. That includes more than doubling the funds for boosting U.S. forces in the Pacific, to $15.3 billion. One key investment will be building the Aegis Ashore anti-missile system on Guam. As part of plans to sell Australia nuclear submarines, the U.S. Navy also aims to build a submarine shipyard there that can repair and service vessels in both U.S. and Australian sub-sea fleets.

China will undoubtedly be so overwhelmed it responds by pulling its navy out of the South China Sea, ceasing all demonstrations of its force around Taiwan and the disputed Senkaku Islands. I’m kidding, of course. It’ll likely respond in a fashion equivalent to how the U.S. would respond if Beijing doubled its investment in defending the Caribbean from U.S. aggression.