Pentagon spends US$12 billion on surveillance, eyeing China’s build-up in Asia

The Pentagon plans to spend an additional US$12.6 billion to improve surveillance of China’s military manoeuvres, submarines and satellites as the US tries to counter the “unprecedented Chinese military build-up” in Asia, according to a budget document sent to Congress.

The funds, approved by Congress outside the normal budget process, are designed to improve US military readiness, offensive cyber capabilities and surveillance efforts across the Indo-Pacific. It will also help expand operations of a classified Boeing spacecraft.

The China-focused expenditures are detailed in a new 85-page document sent to Congress earlier this month that spells out how the Department of Defence plans to allocate almost US$152 billion passed in last year’s massive tax-and-spending package.

That is separate from the formal US$893 billion fiscal 2026 defence spending measure Congress passed in January.

The document says the new funds “are dedicated to improving critical DoD efforts in the US Indo-Pacific Command area of responsibility to counter the unprecedented Chinese military build-up and the growing threats to US security interests and economic prosperity in the region”.

The Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.