Tools / Defense Spending
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Defense Spending

Military spending, arms trade, bases & contracts — 200+ countries

Military spending, arms trade, sanctions, bases, and contracts. 12 data sources: World Bank/SIPRI, USAspending, UK Contracts Finder, UN Comtrade, CIA Factbook, EU Sanctions Map, US Treasury, UNHCR, OpenStreetMap. 14 skills covering 200+ countries.

14 skillsv0.03
Military Spending

Get annual military spending for any country. Returns expenditure in current USD, as percentage of GDP, and armed forces personnel. Covers 200+ countries from 1960 to present via World Bank/SIPRI data.

Returns: Annual military spending (USD + % GDP) and armed forces personnel over the requested time period
Parameters
country *stringISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code (e.g. 'US', 'GB', 'DE', 'CN', 'RU', 'UA', 'FR')
yearsnumberNumber of most recent years to return (default: 10)
Example
US military spending over 10 years
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOOLROUTER_API_KEY" \
  -d '{
  "tool": "defense-spending",
  "skill": "military_spending",
  "input": {
    "country": "US"
  }
}' \
  https://api.toolrouter.com/v1/tools/call
Compare Countries

Compare military spending across multiple countries side by side. Returns the most recent data for each country ranked by spending. Supports any combination of 200+ countries.

Returns: Ranked comparison of military spending across selected countries
Parameters
countries *arrayArray of ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 codes (e.g. ['US', 'CN', 'RU', 'GB', 'FR']). 2-20 countries.
metricstringWhich metric to compare
Example
Top 5 military spenders
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOOLROUTER_API_KEY" \
  -d '{
  "tool": "defense-spending",
  "skill": "compare_countries",
  "input": {
    "countries": [
      "US",
      "CN",
      "RU",
      "IN",
      "SA"
    ]
  }
}' \
  https://api.toolrouter.com/v1/tools/call
Arms Trade

Get international arms trade data — who exports or imports weapons to/from whom. Returns bilateral trade partners and monetary values by weapon subcategory. Covers 50+ countries via UN Comtrade HS code 93 (arms and ammunition).

Returns: Arms trade value with top partners and optional subcategory breakdown
Parameters
country *stringISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code of the reporting country (e.g. 'US', 'RU', 'FR', 'CN')
yearnumberYear to query (default: 2023). Data availability varies by country.
flowstringTrade direction: 'exports' (what they sell) or 'imports' (what they buy)
detailedbooleanIf true, breaks down by weapon subcategory (military weapons, ammunition, parts, etc.)
Example
US arms exports
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOOLROUTER_API_KEY" \
  -d '{
  "tool": "defense-spending",
  "skill": "arms_trade",
  "input": {
    "country": "US"
  }
}' \
  https://api.toolrouter.com/v1/tools/call
Military Profile

Get a comprehensive military profile for any country — forces structure, personnel strengths, equipment inventories, service age requirements, overseas deployments, and strategic notes. Data from the CIA World Factbook (archived Feb 2026). Covers 80+ countries.

Returns: Comprehensive military profile with forces, personnel, equipment, deployments, and strategic notes
Parameters
country *stringISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code (e.g. 'US', 'CN', 'RU', 'GB', 'IN', 'IL', 'UA')
Example
US military profile
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOOLROUTER_API_KEY" \
  -d '{
  "tool": "defense-spending",
  "skill": "military_profile",
  "input": {
    "country": "US"
  }
}' \
  https://api.toolrouter.com/v1/tools/call
Budget Breakdown

Get DoD budget broken down by military branch (Army, Navy, Air Force, etc.) and/or by industry sector (Aircraft Manufacturing, Shipbuilding, R&D, etc.). US only, from USAspending.gov.

Returns: DoD spending breakdown by military branch and/or industry sector with amounts and percentages
Parameters
country *stringCurrently US only
breakdownstringWhat to break down by: 'branch' (Army/Navy/Air Force), 'industry' (NAICS sectors), or 'both'
fiscal_yearnumberFiscal year to query (e.g. 2024). Default: all available.
limitnumberNumber of items per breakdown category (default: 15, max: 30)
Example
Full US DoD budget breakdown
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOOLROUTER_API_KEY" \
  -d '{
  "tool": "defense-spending",
  "skill": "budget_breakdown",
  "input": {
    "country": "US"
  }
}' \
  https://api.toolrouter.com/v1/tools/call
Sanctions

Search current EU sanctions regimes including arms embargoes, asset freezes, and travel bans. Covers 55+ regimes targeting countries, entities, and individuals. Data from the official EU Sanctions Map.

Returns: EU sanctions regimes with descriptions, legal acts, programme codes, and amendment history
Parameters
querystringSearch term to filter sanctions (e.g. 'Russia', 'Iran', 'arms', 'Syria', 'terrorism')
regime_typestringFilter by sanctions type. Omit for all types.
Example
All EU sanctions
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOOLROUTER_API_KEY" \
  -d '{
  "tool": "defense-spending",
  "skill": "sanctions",
  "input": {}
}' \
  https://api.toolrouter.com/v1/tools/call
Defense Contracts

Search defense and military contracts. US: searches USAspending.gov for Department of Defense contracts with full award details. UK: searches Contracts Finder for Ministry of Defence procurement. Returns contract amounts, recipients, dates, and descriptions.

Returns: Defense contract records with award amounts, contractor names, descriptions, and dates
Parameters
country *stringCountry to search contracts in: 'US' or 'GB'
keywordstringSearch keyword (e.g. 'F-35', 'cybersecurity', 'ammunition', 'shipbuilding')
contractorstringFilter by contractor/recipient name (e.g. 'Lockheed Martin', 'BAE Systems'). US only.
fiscal_yearnumberFilter by fiscal year (e.g. 2024, 2025). US only.
limitnumberMaximum number of contracts to return (default: 20, max: 50)
Example
US F-35 contracts
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOOLROUTER_API_KEY" \
  -d '{
  "tool": "defense-spending",
  "skill": "defense_contracts",
  "input": {
    "country": "US",
    "keyword": "F-35"
  }
}' \
  https://api.toolrouter.com/v1/tools/call
Top Contractors

Get the top defense contractors by total award amount for a country. US: returns top recipients of Department of Defense spending from USAspending.gov with dollar amounts.

Returns: Top defense contractors ranked by total award amount with dollar values
Parameters
country *stringCountry to get top contractors for: 'US'
fiscal_yearnumberFiscal year to query (e.g. 2024). Default: most recent.
limitnumberNumber of top contractors to return (default: 20, max: 50)
Example
Top US defense contractors
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOOLROUTER_API_KEY" \
  -d '{
  "tool": "defense-spending",
  "skill": "top_contractors",
  "input": {
    "country": "US"
  }
}' \
  https://api.toolrouter.com/v1/tools/call
Spending by Region

Get geographic breakdown of defense spending within a country. US: returns Department of Defense contract spending by state from USAspending.gov.

Returns: Regions ranked by defense spending amount with dollar values and percentages
Parameters
country *stringCountry to get regional breakdown for: 'US'
fiscal_yearnumberFiscal year to query (e.g. 2024). Default: most recent.
limitnumberNumber of top regions to return (default: 20, max: 55)
Example
US defense spending by state
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOOLROUTER_API_KEY" \
  -d '{
  "tool": "defense-spending",
  "skill": "spending_by_region",
  "input": {
    "country": "US"
  }
}' \
  https://api.toolrouter.com/v1/tools/call
Budget Authority

Get US DoD total budgetary resources, obligations, and outlays by fiscal year. This is the top-line budget — different from contract awards. Shows how much Congress authorized vs how much was obligated and spent.

Returns: DoD budgetary resources with total authority, obligations, and outlays by fiscal year
Parameters
country *stringCurrently US only
Example
US DoD budget authority
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOOLROUTER_API_KEY" \
  -d '{
  "tool": "defense-spending",
  "skill": "budget_authority",
  "input": {
    "country": "US"
  }
}' \
  https://api.toolrouter.com/v1/tools/call
Arms Transfers

Get SIPRI Trend Indicator Values for arms exports and imports. Measures the VOLUME of international arms transfers using SIPRI methodology (constant 1990 USD). Different from UN Comtrade customs data. Covers 200+ countries.

Returns: Arms exports and imports in SIPRI TIV with net transfer balance
Parameters
country *stringISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code (e.g. 'US', 'RU', 'CN', 'FR')
yearsnumberNumber of most recent years to return (default: 10)
Example
US arms transfers over 10 years
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOOLROUTER_API_KEY" \
  -d '{
  "tool": "defense-spending",
  "skill": "arms_transfers",
  "input": {
    "country": "US"
  }
}' \
  https://api.toolrouter.com/v1/tools/call
Conflict Displacement

Get refugee, IDP, and asylum seeker data for countries affected by conflict. Shows the human impact of military operations — how many people are displaced, where they go, and return statistics. From UNHCR.

Returns: Displacement totals and country breakdown with refugees, IDPs, asylum seekers
Parameters
country *stringISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code (e.g. 'UA', 'SY', 'AF', 'SD', 'MM')
yearnumberYear to query (default: 2023)
directionstring'origin' = people fleeing FROM this country. 'asylum' = people fleeing TO this country.
Example
Ukrainian displacement
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOOLROUTER_API_KEY" \
  -d '{
  "tool": "defense-spending",
  "skill": "displacement",
  "input": {
    "country": "UA"
  }
}' \
  https://api.toolrouter.com/v1/tools/call
Military Bases

Find military installations in any country — bases, airfields, naval bases, firing ranges, and barracks. Returns names, coordinates, and metadata from OpenStreetMap. Covers 40+ countries.

Returns: Military installations with names, types, coordinates, and operator info
Parameters
country *stringISO 3166-1 alpha-2 code (e.g. 'US', 'GB', 'DE', 'JP', 'KR')
base_typestringType of installation to search for (default: all military installations)
limitnumberMaximum installations to return (default: 50, max: 100)
Example
UK airfields
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOOLROUTER_API_KEY" \
  -d '{
  "tool": "defense-spending",
  "skill": "military_bases",
  "input": {
    "country": "GB",
    "base_type": "airfield"
  }
}' \
  https://api.toolrouter.com/v1/tools/call
Defense Outlays

Get actual monthly cash outlays for US National Defense from the Treasury Monthly Statement. This is the definitive record of money actually spent — different from USAspending obligations and World Bank annual estimates.

Returns: Monthly defense outlays by fiscal year with FYTD totals and year-over-year changes
Parameters
country *stringCurrently US only
yearsnumberNumber of fiscal years to return (default: 3)
Example
US defense outlays last 3 years
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOOLROUTER_API_KEY" \
  -d '{
  "tool": "defense-spending",
  "skill": "defense_outlays",
  "input": {
    "country": "US"
  }
}' \
  https://api.toolrouter.com/v1/tools/call
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v0.032026-03-25
  • Added 5 more skills: budget_authority, arms_transfers (SIPRI TIV), displacement (UNHCR), military_bases (OpenStreetMap), defense_outlays (US Treasury). Now 14 skills from 12 data sources.
v0.022026-03-25
  • Added 4 new skills: arms_trade (UN Comtrade), budget_breakdown (USAspending), military_profile (CIA Factbook), sanctions (EU Sanctions Map). Extracted shared libs.
v0.012026-03-25
  • Initial release with 5 skills: military_spending, compare_countries, defense_contracts, top_contractors, spending_by_region

Quick Start

MCP (Claude Code)
claude mcp add --transport stdio \
  --env TOOLROUTER_API_KEY=YOUR_API_KEY \
  toolrouter -- npx -y toolrouter-mcp
REST API
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOOLROUTER_API_KEY" \
  -d '{"tool":"defense-spending","skill":"military_spending","input":{}}' \
  https://api.toolrouter.com/v1/tools/call

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I compare military spending across countries?

`compare_countries` ranks the most recent spending data side by side for any mix of countries.

What is the difference between `military_spending` and `defense_outlays`?

`military_spending` is annual country spending from World Bank and SIPRI estimates, while `defense_outlays` is the actual monthly US Treasury cash outlay record.

Can I look at contracts or top contractors?

Yes. Use `defense_contracts`, `top_contractors`, `spending_by_region`, or `budget_authority` for US and UK procurement and budget views.

Does it include arms trade, sanctions, bases, or displacement?

Yes. Use `arms_trade`, `arms_transfers`, `sanctions`, `military_profile`, `military_bases`, or `displacement` for those angles.