STOCKHOLM: Arms sales rose by nearly five percent worldwide in 2018 in amarket dominated by the United States, according to a new report publishedMonday by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
The turnover of the 100 biggest arms manufacturers came to $420 billion,thanks in large part to the US market, said the report.
US manufacturers alone accounted for 59 percent of the market, or aturnover of $246 billion, up 7.2 percent on the previous year.
“This is a significant increase over one year considering the already highlevels of US combined arms sales,” Aude Fleurant, the director of SIPRI’sarms transfers and military expenditure programme, told AFP.
US firms were benefitting from the Trump administration’s decision tomodernise its armed services to reinforce its position against China andRussia.
Russia was second in the rankings for arms production, with 8.6 percent ofthe market, just ahead of the United Kingdom on 8.4 percent and France on5.5 percent.
The study did not include China, for which there was insufficient data, butSIPRI’s research estimated that there were between three and seven Chinesebusinesses in the top 100 arms manufacturers.
Two major European companies, Airbus and MBDA were also responding to”demand due to ongoing armed conflicts and severe tensions in severalregions”, Fleurant added.
China has spent 1.9 percent of its gross domestic product on defence everyyear since 2013.
The top-ranked Russian firm, Almaz-Antei, jumped to ninth on the list withturnover of $9.6 billion — 18 percent up on the previous year.
Read Top Stories
“This increase was based not only on strong domestic demand, but also oncontinuing growth in arms sales to other countries, in particular exportsof the S-400 air defence system,” said the report.
One of the buyers of this system is NATO member Turkey, which took the dealdespite a US threat of sanctions.
Turkey’s arms industry had two businesses in the top 100 and turnover of$2.8 billion, up 22 percent on the previous year.
Turkey was “driven by the goal of being self-sufficient in arms supply andtherefore develop arms production capabilities in all segments (landsystems, air systems, naval systems, missiles, etc.),” said Fleurant.
“Turkey is also involved with an enduring armed conflict with the Kurds,which also tends to increase demand for arms,” she added.
The world’s largest arms maker remains the US firm Lockheed Martin, as ithas been since 2009, this last year with turnover of $47.3 billion.
Its sales alone account for 11 percent of the world market. -APP/AFP
