DEFENCE spending is a hotly debated topic globally, with the discussions focusing on whether a country is spending too much or too little in safeguarding the nation’s sovereignty. Earlier this year, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) reported that the total global military expenditure in 2021 exceeded US$2 trillion for the first time. The biggest spenders were the US, China, India, the UK and Russia, accounting for 62% of the total expenditure.