Why Soviet naval spending is difficult to compare

How did Soviet naval spending compare with US Navy spending?

Direct percentages are unreliable because states classify costs differently; the Soviet Navy likely received a smaller share and Gorshkov linked it to strategic forces and the economy to strengthen its claim.

Modern Chinese and British accounting shows how different functions move into or out of defense totals. That makes a clean percentage comparison misleading even when published figures appear precise. Within Soviet priorities, strategic forces and the army ranked ahead of the air force and navy. Gorshkov improved the navy's position by presenting it as part of nuclear strategy and as protection for the national economy.