The volume of the arms market in 2012-2016 increased by 8.4 percent compared to the previous five-year period. Overall, arms sales are at their highest level since the end of cold war, concludes an 892-page report on global arms exports from the Stockholm Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), officially released on Monday, February 20.

Context

According to researchers, the five largest arms exporters in the world are the United States, Russia, China, France and Germany. Together, these five states are responsible for 74 percent of international arms sales, which are mainly purchased by buyers in Asia and Oceania, as well as countries in the Middle East. The largest arms importers in the world are India and Saudi Arabia.

The upward trend in the global arms market after years of decline was also highlighted in the SIPRI report for last year.

The world leader is the USA, the Russian Federation is in second place

The world leader in arms trade is still the United States, with a market share of 33 percent. Between 2012 and 2016, the volume of weapons sold to the United States increased by 21 percent. “The United States exports weapons to at least 100 countries, which is significantly more than any other supplying countries,” SIPRI notes. According to researchers, almost half American weapons goes to buyers in the Near and Middle East.

In second place is Russia with a market share of 23%. By increasing arms sales by 74%, China increased its share of the global arms market to 6.2% and ranks third in the ranking of the largest exporters. France has 6%, Germany has 5.6%.

In connection with the publication of data on the supply of main types of conventional weapons and military equipment from 2011 to 2015.

The institute's database covers the period since 1950, and in describing trends in international military transfers, institute experts use five-year averages.

According to the ranking published by SIPRI, the top five largest arms suppliers, as before, continue to be headed by the United States, which accounts for 33% of the share of global arms exports. SIPRI analysts call Saudi Arabia (9.7%) the main clients of the United States. United Arab Emirates(9.1%) and Turkey (6.6%).

According to SIPRI, the largest recipient region of American weapons was the Middle East, which accounted for 41% of US exports. For countries in Asia and Oceania - 40%.

Salon: The United States has become the leader in the arms market at the expense of extremistsThe United States maintains leadership in the international arms market, but a significant part of its supplies goes to the Persian Gulf countries, which actively support Islamist extremist groups, the publication notes.

In general, supplies of major types of conventional weapons from the United States over the past five years have increased by 27% compared to 2006-2010.

Second place in the list of largest exporters, as according to the data of the previous five-year period, is given to Russia - its share in international export weapons amounted to 25%. In general, the authors of the report note, exports of the main types of conventional weapons from Russia increased by 28% between 2006-2010 and 2011-2015. At the same time, the authors of the report noted a trend towards a slowdown in exports from Russia in 2014 and 2015.

According to SIPRI, the main recipients Russian weapons over the past five years, three countries have become - India (39%), China (11%) and Vietnam (11%).

In general, about 68% of Russian arms exports in the period from 2011 to 2015 went to countries in Asia and Oceania.

Moscow also managed to gain a foothold in the European arms market (6.4%), while SIPRI notes an increase in supplies to Europe by 264%.

Media: due to the crisis between the Koreas, the United States sold weapons for a record amountThe United States occupied half of the world arms market, earning more than $36 billion in this industry. South Korea became the main buyer of military equipment.

For the second consecutive period, the third place among the largest exporters in the published SIPRI list is occupied by China (5.9% in global exports), France is in fourth place (5.6%) and Germany rounds out the top five (4.7%).

Exports from these five countries combined accounted for almost 74% of the global total from 2011 to 2015, as in the previous five-year period.

Overall, international supplies of major conventional weapons increased by 14% from 2011 to 2015 compared to the previous five-year period.

Where were the weapons sent?

According to SIPRI, the top ten largest arms importers over the past five years included six countries in Asia and Oceania - India, China, Australia, Pakistan, Vietnam and South Korea.

"China continues to expand its military capabilities by importing and producing domestic weapons", said SIPRI researcher Simon Wezeman, commenting on the published data. According to him, "China's neighboring countries - India, Vietnam and Japan - have also significantly strengthened their armed forces."

The top five largest arms recipients, as according to the previous five-year plan, are India (14% in the share of world imports), followed by Saudi Arabia (7.0%), China (4.7%), and the United Arab Emirates (4.6 %) and rounds out the top five with Australia (3.6%).

Overall, these five countries accounted for 34% of the total arms imports.

The Arms Transfers Database includes available information on all international transfers of major conventional arms, including sales, gifts and licensed production. The data reflects supply volumes without taking into account the financial cost of transactions.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute SIPRI was founded in 1966 and is an independent analytical center, who studies conflict, weapons, arms control and disarmament.

The volume of the global arms market from 2012 to 2016 reached its highest level since the Cold War, according to a report by the Stockholm international institute SIPRI. Russia is the second exporting country after the USA with a market share of 23%

Global arms transfers between 2012 and 2016 reached their highest level in any five-year period since the Cold War, according to a report by the Stockholm Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). According to the institute, the volume of deliveries increased by 8.4% compared to 2007-2011. Despite the increase in volume in 2012-2016, the volume of arms transfers is 16.6% less than in the last five-year period of the Cold War - 1987-2016. 1991

Experts named the Middle East as the fastest growing market - over five years, its share in arms imports increased by 86% and amounted to 29% of the world market.

Top three export leaders

According to SIPRI, the top five suppliers account for almost three-quarters (74%) of the global arms market. The export leaders over the past five years have been the USA, Russia and China. The United States accounts for a third of all global arms exports. Since 2012, Washington's share of the arms trade has grown by 21%. As noted by the director of the SIPRI arms and military expenditure program, Aude Fleurant, the main share in the supply of American weapons is attack aircraft equipped cruise missiles and precision-guided munitions, air defense and missile defense last generation.

Fifth generation multi-role fighter F-22 Raptor (Photo: Wolfgang Rattay/Reuters)

Russia's share in 2012-2016 was 23% of the total. The majority of supplies (70%) come from “traditional” Russian partners - India, Vietnam, China and Algeria. Russia's share is gradually decreasing: in the last five-year period it was 24.2%, and in 2002-2006 - 26.2% of all world arms supplies. At the same time, Russia’s share in global arms imports increased from 0.1% in 2007-2011 to 0.5% in 2012-2016.

China, in turn, took third place in the world ranking (6.2% of global volume), pushing aside France and Germany, supplying 6 and 5.6% of weapons, respectively. According to the report, France's market share continues to decline due to the end of several major contracts signed over the past five years.

Record-breaking importers

The leaders in imports are Asian countries, according to institute analysts: 43% of the world volume. The main importer is India: according to SIPRI, it purchases 13% of all weapons in the world. As experts point out, India's share is much higher than that of regional competitors - Pakistan and China. The PRC, in turn, is gradually replacing imported weapons with its own, emphasizes Simon Wezeman, senior researcher at the SIPRI arms and military expenditure program.

SIPRI recorded the greatest growth compared to the previous five-year period in the Middle East region. The leaders in the region remain Saudi Arabia (+212%) and Qatar (+245%). According to experts from the institute, Middle Eastern countries continue to buy weapons, despite the established situation in 2016 low prices for oil. At the same time, as SIPRI senior researcher Peter Wezeman points out, countries are trying to improve the technical equipment of their armed forces. The opposite is evidenced by the data provided in the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN) investigation. According to data obtained by journalists, the countries of the region (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Turkey and Jordan) spent €1.2 billion on the purchase of obsolete weapons in Eastern Europe, primarily in Croatia and the Czech Republic. As BIRN points out, the weapons were intended to support militants in Syria and Iraq.

Questions for assessment

According to Ruslan Pukhov, director of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies, the SIPRI methodology is not universal. “The Stockholm Institute does not count, for example, non-combat systems - radar systems, etc.,” the expert points out. Therefore, Pukhov believes, the results of SIPRI can only be perceived in conjunction with other data.

While SIPRI's open data approach has its limitations, the Stockholm institute is the most reliable source, says independent military analyst Anton Lavrov. “Not all transactions can be calculated in this way - this is especially true for African countries and non-democratic regimes,” the expert clarifies.

What is SIPRI and how does it count?

The Stockholm Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) maintains databases of arms transfers around the world. Information on the sale of weapons is included in the database only if the fact of delivery is reliable. SIPRI is funded by the Swedish government and receives grants from other sources.

Since 1969, the institute has published the SIPRI Yearbook (in Russian, the publication is published jointly with the Institute of World Economy and international relations RAS). The publication provides an overview of the global arms market, the disarmament process and the situation with international security based on data from open sources.

The Stockholm Institute also ranks the world's top 100 arms manufacturers. To calculate a manufacturer's place in the ranking, conventional units are used - an indicator indicator expressed in US dollars and 1990 prices. Thus, according to the researchers, it is possible to derive comparable indicators for a long period.

10. Netherlands
The Netherlands closes the top ten with a market share of 2%.

The main buyers of weapons from the Netherlands are countries such as Egypt, India, and Pakistan.

It is worth noting that in recent years the Netherlands has been losing its position in the arms market. If in 2008 the country was among the top 5 largest arms exporters in the world, now it has dropped to 10th place.
9. Ukraine
Market share: 2.6%

The main recipients of Ukrainian weapons are countries such as Nigeria, Thailand, Croatia, China and Algeria.

Among the weapons - battle tanks T-72, armored personnel carriers BTR-4EN, BTR-3E1 and others.

As a result, Ukraine became the ninth largest arms supplier in the world.

8. Italy
Market share: 2.7%

Italy is one of the world and European leaders in arms exports.
7. Spain
Market share: 3.5%

The main recipients of Spanish weapons also became the countries of the Middle East - Oman, Bahrain, the UAE, as well as Australia.
6. UK
Market share: 4.5%

Great Britain took sixth place in the ranking, becoming one of the largest arms exporters to Europe. The main direction of British arms exports has become the Middle East - a region in which military operations are constantly taking place and, accordingly, there is a constant need for arms supplies.
5. Germany
Market share: 4.7%

Germany dropped to fifth place with a market share of 4.7%.

For the period from 2011 to 2015. Germany's arms exports have halved.

In Europe as a whole, imports fell by 41% between 2006 and 2010 and between 2011 and 2015.
4. France
Market share: 5.6%

France, having moved into fourth place, reduced arms supplies by 9.8%.

During 2015, France signed several major arms contracts, including the first two contracts for the supply of the Rafale military aircraft.
3. China
Market share: 5.9%

Chinese arms exports grew by 88% and took third place in the market.

“China continues to expand its military capabilities through both arms imports and domestic production,” said Simon Wezeman, senior researcher at the SIPRI Arms and Military Expenditure Programme.

At the same time, China also entered the top 5 leaders among arms importing countries. The country ranks third in this ranking, behind only India and Saudi Arabia.
2. Russia
Market share: 25%

Russia took second place among arms exporting countries.

Compared to 2006-2010 supplies of Russian military equipment increased by 28%.

However, SIPRI points out that in 2014 and 2015. exports were significantly lower than in 2011-2013 and were at the levels of the previous five-year period.

In 2011-2015 Moscow supplied weapons to 50 countries, as well as to insurgents in Ukraine, notes the Stockholm Peace Research Institute.

The largest buyer of Russian weapons was India with 39% of the volume of weapons sold by Russia, second and third places are shared by China and Vietnam - 11% each, Vedomosti notes.
1. USA
Market share: 33%

The United States, with a 33% share of the arms market, remains the main arms exporter based on the results of 2011-2015, having increased its share during this period by 27%.

"As tensions rise and regional conflicts“The United States remains a leading arms exporter, well ahead of its competitors,” says Aude Fleurant, director of the Military Expenditure Program at SIPRI (Arms and Military Expenditure Programme).

“Over the past five years, the United States has sold or transferred weapons to at least 96 countries, and military industry The United States has many export orders, including the supply of 611 F-35 military aircraft to nine countries,” he notes.

A recent study by the International Peace Research Institute showed that Russia and the United States are still the world's largest arms exporters, and the region that consumes approximately half of all arms exports is still the Middle East.

Some countries that artificially create “conditions for wars and conflicts” in a number of regions are pursuing the goal of selling weapons to such regions. Some are only trying to benefit from the situation of permanent wars created by someone else, and also pursuing the same goals, they resort to commerce. And in fact, large manufacturers weapons, lobbying their interests in the government and political circles of a particular country, themselves play a significant role in creating the conditions that will be favorable for increasing the volume of arms sales to regions affected by constant wars and conflicts.

Context

China seeks to increase arms exports

The Epoch Times 03/27/2016

Russia is conquering the Iranian market

JB Press 03/02/2016

Moscow's arms export policy

Finanz and Wirtschaft 03.11.2015

Boom in Russian arms exports

Il Sole 24 Ore 10/29/2010
One of the mechanisms resorted to by the forces lobbying for the production of weapons, at least in the Western Asian region, is “Iranophobia”, when, by “playing” on it, similar fears are artificially spread among the Arab monarchies of the Persian Gulf, and, thus, From the treasury of all these small but very rich states, billions of dollars are transferred abroad, which are then spent by these dwarf states on the purchase of weapons. However, as always, the United States plays its “special” role in these processes, which, according to the latest statistical data, is one of the largest “sellers” and exporters of weapons.

According to reports from the TASNIM news agency, which in turn refers to data from the Sputnik agency, the Institute of Peace reported the day before that over the past 5 years, Russia and the United States have firmly held their positions as leaders in global arms exports, and 56% of global exports belonged to exactly to them. According to the same reports, America within 5 recent years was the world leader in this field and controlled one third of the global arms market. The volume of arms exports from the United States during this period increased by more than 21% compared to the period 2007-2011. And approximately half of all American arms exports go to the Middle East.

The aforementioned report, prepared by the Institute of Peace, also states: “The United States proposes to supply all major types of weapons to approximately 100 countries around the world. The lion's share of total US arms exports consists of combat fighter aircraft equipped with cruise missiles and other guided munitions, as well as the latest generation of missile defense systems.” Russia, in turn, goes to this list exporters are the leaders in arms exports in second place, and this country’s share in the world arms market has already reached 23%. India, Vietnam, China and Algeria are the countries that are the main buyers Russian weapons. It is these 4 countries that make up more than 70% of the total volume of Russian arms exports.

Also, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), India, the UAE and Saudi Arabia top the list of countries in the world that import weapons and military equipment. During the period from 2012 to 2016. India accounted for 13% of the total global arms imports. And after it, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, China and Algeria occupy their positions in this list.

InoSMI materials contain assessments exclusively from foreign media and do not reflect the position of the InoSMI editorial staff.