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Amid the across-the-board budget cuts known as sequestration and a general belt-tightening mood among many on Capitol Hill, the Pentagon is being asked to reduce its spending after a decade of increases.

Some argue that even with cutbacks, the U.S. spends far more than other countries on defense, and that the drones and special operations forces increasingly being used in the counterterrorism fight cost less than conventional military operations.

A group of experts recently faced off, two against two, over military spending in a debate for the Intelligence Squared U.S. series, in partnership with the McCain Institute for International Leadership at Arizona State University. The motion for the Oxford-style debate was, "Cutting the Pentagon's budget is a gift to our enemies."But others say that the U.S. still faces plenty of dangers — including threats from China and the Middle East — and that a weaker military would only encourage more. Also, they say, maintaining an effective all-volunteer military requires ever-increasing personnel costs, meaning less money is left for training and equipment.

Before the debate, the audience voted 22 percent in favor of the motion and 57 percent against, with 21 percent undecided. After the debate, 29 percent agreed that "cutting the Pentagon's budget is a gift to our enemies," while 65 percent disagreed — making the side arguing against the motion the winners.