Ukraine war boosts US weapons exports to record high
Overseas sales of the United States (US)'s weapons saw a significant increase in 2023, reaching a record total of $238 billion (approximately Rs. 19 lakh crore), BBC reported. This spike was fueled by an increased demand following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. According to the US State Department, the government directly negotiated $81 billion (approx. Rs. 6 lakh crore) in sales, marking a 56% increase from 2022.
Why does this story matter?
Amid the Ukraine war, the US administration is seeking to exploit the opportunity in Europe and Asia to wean countries away from Russia's arms shipments. It is also concerned that Moscow might attack other countries. The US remains the largest source of global military sales, and its market share continues to expand. Per the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the US accounted for 40% of all arms exports from 2018 to 2022, up from 33% from 2013 to 2017.
Poland leads purchases amid military expansion
Poland, Ukraine's neighbor, is currently expanding its military and made some of the largest purchases from the US. It spent $12 billion on Apache helicopters, $10 billion on High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), $3.75 billion on M1A1 Abrams tanks, and $4 billion on Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command Systems. Prime Minister Donald Tusk also pledged to continue the previous conservative government's military modernization efforts, aiming to make Poland "the most powerful land force in Europe."
Other major buyers of US military equipment
Other buyers include Germany, which spent $8.5 billion on Chinook helicopters; Bulgaria, which spent $1.5 billion on armored vehicles; and Norway, which acquired $1 billion worth of helicopters. Separately, the Czech Republic, which bought $5.6 billion in F-35 jets and munitions, is also among the top buyers of US military equipment. The US State Department emphasized, "Arms transfers and defense trade are important US foreign policy tools." They have potential long-term implications for regional and global security, it said.
US dominates arms exports
Despite Russia and China's aggressive forays into the arms business, the US maintains its supremacy. According to the SIPRI, its arms exports climbed by 7% between 2013 and 2018, whereas that of Russia and China declined by 31% and 23%, respectively. Notably, last year, Ukraine became the world's third-largest receiver of US military weapons.
