The U.S. remains below funding levels consistent with a wartime footing. But at an estimated 4.6 percent of GDP, the president’s budget request of $1.5 trillion in total discretionary & mandatory budget authority for FY 2027 would mark a notable break in this trend.

SOURCE: "Is the Industrial Base on a Wartime Footing? A Progress Report" by CSIS's Jerry McGinn and A.J. Dilts.

Russia, as of early 2026, is deploying more than 5,000 drones per month on average. Because they are cheaper than cruise and ballistic missiles, the Shahed-type drones allow Russia to launch larger salvos more frequently.

SOURCE: "The Geography of Coercion: Russian Missile and Drone Campaigns in Ukraine" by CSIS's Yasir Atalan and Benjamin Jensen with Marcus Welsch and Erik Tiersten-Nyman.

South Korea has been running lower trade surpluses with China for the greater part of the decade—from $99.7 billion in 2018 to $19.6 billion in 2025 —as Chinese firms have displaced South Korean exports across electronics, electric vehicles, batteries, and petrochemicals.

SOURCE: "Export Nation or Ecosystem Power: South Korea’s Choice in the AI Industrial Age" by CSIS's Navin Girishankar.

China dominates the aluminum value chain, accounting for roughly 60 percent of the world’s primary aluminum production—about 43 million tonnes a year—while the West remains heavily exposed, with the U.S. importing 82 percent of its primary supply.

SOURCE: "Keeping Aluminum in Allied Hands: The Stakes of Alcoa’s South Africa Bet" by CSIS's Gracelin Baskaran.