MARCH 1998 · VOLUME 19· NUMBER 3
THE CORPORATE WAR MACHINE
Spending Millions, Making Billions:
Foreign Military Sales Revenues and Campaign Spending
by Major U.S. Arms Exporting Companies, 1995/96
Foreign Military Sales Revenues and Campaign Spending
by Major U.S. Arms Exporting Companies, 1995/96
Subsidized arms exports of the kind that they are now pushing in East and Central Europe are a lucrative business for U.S. military contractors. Many of the subsidies were created as the result of vigorous lobbying and large campaign donations by major weapons makers. This table illustrates the return these companies are getting on their political "investments" in a compliant Congress that signs off on big-ticket items like NATO expansion:
Source: Pentagon data tapes, analyzed by Eagle Eye Services of Vienna, Virginia; and Federal Elections Committee data provided by the Center for Responsive Politics.
Note on data: The data reflects the effects of recent military industry mergers such as Boeing's purchase of McDonnell Douglas, Raytheon's purchase of Hughes Defense, and Lockheed Martin's absorption of Loral's military business. For these companies, arms sales revenues and campaign spending for 1995/96 have been grouped together under the umbrella of the new merged company.