It's not just America, even small countries are not immune to the might of the military industrial complex, I paid a curtesy call to 2 different Admirals from 2 separate countries in SEA and they both slyly asked me, why does a simple ship telescope cost USD 15,000...
As a foreign dealer in some naval hardware we aren't allowed to deal directly but through middle man (so called transfer of technology to local companies).
The amount of money changing hands after being inflated is mind boggling and gets worse knowing that they have the tactic approval of their own govts.