Use of United States Armed Forces Abroad, 1798-2022

The United States spends roughly as much on defense as the rest of the world put together and remains the only country able to project military power globally. With its extensive defense budget and capabilities, the US remains a military leader in contemporary international politics.

• According to data from the US Congressional Research Service, the US has undertaken over 500 international military interventions since 1798, with nearly 60% undertaken between 1992 and 2022. What’s more, over one-third of these missions occurred after 1999.
• With the end of the Cold War era, one would expect the US to decrease its military interventions abroad, assuming lower threats and interests at stake. But these patterns reveal the opposite – the US has increased its military involvements abroad.