US arms exports hit record high

US foreign arms sales in fiscal year 2023 will increase by 16% to more than $238 billion, the highest ever.

A report released by the US State Department on January 29 said that arms sales through direct transactions between US defense companies and foreign governments reached $157.5 billion in fiscal year 2023, up slightly from $153.6 billion a year earlier, while sales through intermediaries increased from $51.9 billion to $80.9 billion.

In total, US arms exports in fiscal 2023 will reach $238.5 billion, up 16% from last year and the highest figure ever.

"Arms transfers and defense transactions are important US foreign policy tools that can have lasting effects on regional and global security," the report said.

US arms exports have increased sharply as many NATO countries are actively adding weapons to cope with the scenario of a wider Russia-Ukraine conflict. Poland, a country that shares a border with Ukraine, was one of the largest buyers of US weapons last year.

US F-16 fighter jets at a defense exhibition in Seoul, South Korea, October 2023. Photo: AFP — US F-16 fighter jets at a defense exhibition in Seoul, South Korea, October 2023. Photo: *AFP*

The country has reached a $12 billion deal to buy Washington-made AH-64E Apache attack helicopters, as well as spending $10 billion to buy HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems, $4 billion for the IBCS integrated air defense command system, and $3.75 billion to buy M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks.

Several other NATO members, including Germany, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Norway, have also spent billions of dollars on combat helicopters, anti-aircraft missiles and infantry fighting vehicles from the US. US allies in Asia, such as South Korea and Japan, have also signed several major arms deals with Washington.

Washington’s arms sales surged as Russia, the US’s main rival in the arms export market, focused on the war in Ukraine. According to a report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Moscow’s arms export industry began to decline in the early 2010s due to competition from India and China, as well as Western sanctions aimed at preventing other countries from buying Russian military equipment.

US HIMARS rocket launchers fire during a joint exercise in Indonesia in September 2023. Photo: AFP — US HIMARS rocket launchers fire during a joint exercise in Indonesia in September 2023. Photo: *AFP*

After the Ukraine conflict broke out, the US and its allies imposed additional sanctions on Moscow, making it difficult for the country to access some high-tech components to manufacture weapons and receive money from partners.

Russia's defense industry also has to focus resources on serving wartime needs instead of selling weapons abroad, while images of Moscow's equipment being destroyed or damaged on the battlefield have caused some long-time Russian customers to question the quality of weapons produced by this country.

A report last March by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said Russia's share of global arms exports fell from 22% in 2013-2017 to 16% in 2018-2022, while the US's increased from 33% to 40%.

Meanwhile, Russia's Rostec defense corporation confirmed in November 2023 that weapons produced by Moscow are receiving more attention thanks to their effectiveness in the conflict in Ukraine, including Su-35 fighters, Ka-52 combat helicopters, T-90 tanks, TOS-1A thermobaric guns, Msta-S self-propelled guns and many other weapons.

Pham Giang (According to Reuters, Politico, BI )

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