By Mel Gurtov
A long time ago, Gordon Adams introduced the term “iron triangle” to characterize the interlocked relationship of the Pentagon’s military services, the corporations that contract with it to build weapons and provide services, and the Congressional committees that vote on military appropriations—in short, the key players that constantly push for annual increases in military spending and the latest lethal weapons.
Though there are other players, such as lobbyists and pro-defense think tanks, this military-industrial-governmental complex comprises central casting. They work together to meet and sometimes exceed the military’s funding requests, in good economic times and bad, in peacetime as well as in times of crisis. To them, national security is a gravy train.
The Iron Triangle in Action
Let’s look at those corporate-Pentagon contracts. Total prime contracting in the current fiscal year (FY) is $447 billion, a jump of $42 billion over FY2020 and over $300 billion since FY2016. These contracts account for about two-thirds of all federal contracting ($682 billion) during those years. Under Biden, large increases continue—and Congress is adding on to his proposals. Thus, for FY2022, Biden has proposed $753 billion in military spending, to which Congress has added $25 billion.
The chart below shows the year-to-year jumps in official military spending. (Keep in mind that the real FY2022 budget request is more like $1 trillion when other military-related expenditures, such as for veterans, are included.)