Report: US is still top arms exporter
STOCKHOLM, Sweden — The United States has extended its lead in global arms exports over the past five years, said the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute on Monday.
According to new data on arms transfers published by the Swedish-based institute, violent conflicts in the Middle East and regional tensions in Asia drove growing arms imports in the 2013-17 period.
According to the study, the US has strengthened its position as the world’s top arms seller over the past five years, providing 34 percent of total arms exports.
SIPRI said US arms exports increased by 25 percent in the 2013-17 period, compared with 2008-12 US exports in the period 200812, which accounted for 30 percent of the world total.
“Based on deals signed during the (former US president Barack) Obama administration, US arms deliveries in 2013-17 reached their highest level since the late 1990s,” said Aude Fleurant, director of the SIPRI Arms and Military Expenditure Program.
“These deals and further major contracts signed in 2017 will ensure that the United States remains the largest arms exporter in the coming years.”
According to the study, US arms exports in the 2013-17 period were 58 percent higher than those of Russia, the second largest arms exporter in that period. The US sold arms to at least 98 countries, and a large portion of US exports were comprised of combat and transport aircraft.
Middle East
Arms imports to the Middle East have doubled over the past 10 years, fueled by war and conflict in the region, said the study.
SIPRI said weapons imports by countries in the Middle East increased by 103 percent between 2008 and 2017, and accounted for one third of global arms imports in the 2013-17 period.
According to the study, Saudi Arabia is the world’s second-largest importer of arms after India, and the US accounts for 61 percent of arms imports to Saudi Arabia, and Britain for 23 percent.