Nearly $10 million for seafood: why the Pentagon purchased lobsters and crabs
12 March 08:19
In September 2025, the US Department of Defense made record purchases totaling $93.4 billion, most of which was spent on luxury goods and products.
According to the analytical resource OpenTheBooks, these expenditures occurred on the eve of the close of the fiscal year and were part of the “use it or lose it” practice, which forces government agencies to spend budget surpluses so as not to lose funds the following year, reports "Komersant Ukrainian".
In particular, the article states that at the end of the fiscal year, Pentagon officials seek to maximize the use of budget surpluses to avoid losing them and possible funding cuts in the following year. In the last five working days of September alone, the Department spent $50.1 billion on grants and contracts, exceeding the annual defense budgets of countries such as Israel and Italy.
Luxury goods and food products accounted for a significant portion of the purchases:
- Alaskan king crab — $2 million;
- lobster tails — $6.9 million;
- ribeye steak — $15.1 million;
- salmon — $1 million;
- donuts — 272 orders worth $139,224;
- Ice cream machines — $124,000;
- sushi tables — $26,000
No less attention was paid to furniture and musical instruments:
- furniture — $225.6 million, including premium Herman Miller office chairs;
- Steinway & Sons grand piano — $98,329;
- violin — $26,000;
- Handcrafted flute from Japanese brand Muramatsu — $21,750
The Department of Defense also spent $5.9 billion on information technology and telecommunications services, including laptops, software licenses, and large monitors. Some purchases were made at significantly higher prices than on the open market, indicating the rushed nature of spending at the end of the year.
Overseas purchases totaled $6.6 billion, including goods and services from the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and Canada. Some of the products were manufactured by American companies outside the United States.
OpenTheBooks emphasizes that the “use it or lose it” practice is not new, but the scale of Pentagon spending in September 2025 was record-breaking and drew attention to the need to review the budget process. As a result, analysts are calling for resources to be focused on critical defense needs, such as missiles and interceptor drones, rather than luxury purchases at the end of the fiscal year.
