On 14 December 2018, Spain’s Socialist government gave the green light for a 7.3-billion-euro renewal of military equipment which it portrayed as “social spending” that will create thousands of jobs, several media report. According to NATO, Spain is estimated to have used 0.93 percent of its GDP for military spending in 2018. In January 2018, when the conservatives were in power, Spain had announced it intended to increase by 73 % its military spending over seven years.
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| BMR-600 VEC reconnaissance armored vehicle of the Spanish army at military parade in Spain. (Picture source: Army Recognition) |