A new study from Stockholm International Peace Institute (SIRPI) shows that in 2012-2016 the sale of weapons increased 8.4% compared to the previous 5 years. SIRPI's new study shows that the volume of major weapons transfers reached the highest it has for any five-year period since the last years of the Cold War.
Increasing by 21% compared with 2007-2011, the U.S. made up 33% of the total number of exported weapons from 2012-2016. For the past five years, Russia trailed along as the second largest exporter and China the third. Across the globe, the largest importers of arms are India, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates. The three main customers for the U.S. were Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Turkey.
Since 2012, Saudi Arabia has increased its intake of weapons by 212%, mostly supplied by the U.S. and the U.K. The reason for the demand is a Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen that began in 2015, which began as a bombing campaign, continued as a naval blockade, and in conjunction with other countries like Egypt, Morocco, and Jordan deployed ground troops and fighter jets. The U.S. and the U.K. provided aerial refueling, intelligence, and accelerated the sale of arms. In July, the United Nations declared Yemen in the highest emergency level for six months. Other big consumers of weapons are also afflicted by war. Nigeria, Sudan, and Ethiopia are the largest importers in sub-Saharan Africa and are all in conflict zones.
"The USA supplies major arms to at least 100 countries around the world - significantly more than any other supplier state," said Director of the Arms and Military Expenditure Programme Dr Aude Fleurant. "Both advanced strike aircraft with cruise missiles and other precision-guided munitions and the latest generation air and missile defence systems account for a significant share of US arms exports."
The ten largest defense industry companies through which the nations trade arms are Lockheed Martin
- https://www.sipri.org/publications/2017/sipri-fact-sheets/trends-international-arms-transfers-2016
- http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/02/20/global-arms-trade-rises-to-post-cold-war-high.html
- http://news.sky.com/story/global-arms-trade-rises-to-post-cold-war-high-10775259
- http://money.cnn.com/2017/02/19/news/arms-sales-soaring/
- https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/feb/20/global-arms-weapons-trade-highest-point-since-cold-war-era
