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Global Arms Sales Paint Chilling Picture of World at War
Global sales of major arms systems have risen over the past five years to the highest volume since the end of the Cold War, according to the Stockholm International Peace Institute’s (SIPRI) annual report on arms sales.
SIPRI, an international institute that researches “conflict, armaments, arms control and disarmament,” said on Monday that more weapons were delivered between 2012 and 2016 than any other five-year period since 1990. Between 2007-2011 and 2012-2016, arms imports by national governments in the Middle East rose by 86 percent.
As noted by the Guardian:
“Saudi Arabia, which leads a military intervention in Yemen that has costs hundreds of civilian lives, was the world’s second largest importer after India, increasing its intake by 212 %, mainly from the US and the UK.”
However, there are some issues with the Guardian’s statement. First, according to the U.N., well over 10,000 civilians have been killed, a staggering difference when compared with the Guardian’s watered down reference to “hundreds of civilians lives.” The vast majority of these civilians have been killed directly by the Saudi-led coalition. Second, the Saudi-led war can hardly be called an intervention considering the brutal and illegal nature of the ongoing operation. The term “war of aggression” is more appropriate.
As a result of this cozy Saudi-U.S. relationship, Saudi arms imports have tripled during the war in Yemen. The Obama administration sold the oil-rich kingdom at least $115 billion worth of weapons, as Anti-Media has previously reported.
SIPRI’s report concluded that Asia was the main recipient region in the world. India was seen to have dwarfed its rivals, China and Pakistan, by accounting for 13 percent of global imports. Most interesting, however, is that India relies primarily on Russian imports as opposed to NATO countries, further complicating alliances in the region.
Together, the United States and Russia have supplied more than half of all exports. Unsurprisingly, the United States continues to remain the world’s biggest arms dealer.
Iran, the country that has been vilified as the world’s biggest sponsor of terrorism and regional aggressor, received a mere 1.2 percent of the region’s arms transfers. Conversely, arms imports into Qatar, alone, have risen by 245 per cent.
The report’s damning conclusions reaffirm what many have been warning about for some time now, including former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev: the whole world is preparing for war.
Global Arms Sales Paint Chilling Picture of World at War
Increase in arms transfers driven by demand in the Middle East and Asia, says SIPRI
The volume of international transfers of major weapons has grown continuously since 2004 and increased by 8.4 per cent between 2007-11 and 2012-16, according to new data on arms transfers published today by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Notably, transfers of major weapons in 2012-16 reached their highest volume for any five-year period since the end of the cold war.
The flow of arms increased to Asia and Oceania and the Middle East between 2007-11 and 2012-16, while there was a decrease in the flow to Europe, the Americas and Africa. The five biggest exporters-the United States, Russia, China, France and Germany-together accounted for 74 per cent of the total volume of arms exports.
Asia: major increases for some states
Arms imports by states in Asia and Oceania increased by 7.7 per cent between 2007-11 and 2012-16 and accounted for 43 per cent of global imports in 2012-16.
India was the world’s largest importer of major arms in 2012-16, accounting for 13 per cent of the global total. Between 2007-11 and 2012-16 it increased its arms imports by 43 per cent. In 2012-16 India’s imports were far greater than those of its regional rivals China and Pakistan.
Imports by countries in South East Asia increased 6.2 per cent from 2007-11 to 2012-16. Viet Nam made a particularly large jump from being the 29th largest importer in 2007-11 to the 10th largest in 2012-16, with arms imports increasing by 202 per cent.
‘With no regional arms control instruments in place, states in Asia continue to expand their arsenals’, said Siemon Wezeman, Senior Researcher with the SIPRI Arms and Military Expenditure Programme. ‘While China is increasingly able to substitute arms imports with indigenous products, India remains dependent on weapons technology from many willing suppliers, including Russia, the USA, European states, Israel and South Korea’.
Middle East: arms imports almost double
Between 2007-11 and 2012-16 arms imports by states in the Middle East rose by 86 per cent and accounted for 29 per cent of global imports in 2012-16.
Saudi Arabia was the world’s second largest arms importer in 2012-16, with an increase of 212 per cent compared with 2007-11. Arms imports by Qatar went up by 245 per cent. Although at lower rates, the majority of other states in the region also increased arms imports. ‘Over the past five years, most states in the Middle East have turned primarily to the USA and Europe in their accelerated pursuit of advanced military capabilities’, said Pieter Wezeman, Senior Researcher with the SIPRI Arms and Military Expenditure Programme. ‘Despite low oil prices, countries in the region continued to order more weapons in 2016, perceiving them as crucial tools for dealing with conflicts and regional tensions.’
Arms exporters: the USA accounts for one-third of total
With a one-third share of global arms exports, the USA was the top arms exporter in 2012- 16. Its arms exports increased by 21 per cent compared with 2007-11. Almost half of its arms exports went to the Middle East.
‘The USA supplies major arms to at least 100 countries around the world-significantly more than any other supplier state’, said Dr Aude Fleurant, Director of the SIPRI Arms and Military Expenditure Programme. ‘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.’
Russia accounted for a 23 per cent share of global exports in the period 2012-16. 70 per cent of its arms exports went to four countries: India, Viet Nam, China and Algeria.
China’s share of global arms exports rose from 3.8 to 6.2 per cent between 2007-11 and 2012-16. It is now firmly a top-tier supplier, like France and Germany which accounted for 6 per cent and 5.6 per cent, respectively. The ongoing lower rate of French arms export deliveries may end soon because of a series of major contracts signed in the past five years. Despite a spike in arms exports in 2016, German arms exports-counted over a five-year period-decreased by 36 per cent between 2007-11 and 2012-16.
Other notable developments
Global arms trade reaches highest point since cold war era
Middle East almost doubles weapons imports, as US and Europe remain the main suppliers and China joins top-tier exporters
The global transfer of major weapons systems rose over the past five years to the highest volume since the end of the cold war as the Middle East nearly doubled its imports, according to an annual report on arms sales.
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) said on Monday that more weapons were delivered between 2012 and 2016 than any other five-year period since 1990. Saudi Arabia, which leads a military intervention in Yemen that has cost hundreds of civilian lives, was the world’s second largest importer after India, increasing its intake by 212%, mainly from the US and the UK.
Asia was the main recipient region in the world as India dwarfed regional rivals, China and Pakistan, by accounting for 13% of the global imports. While India received most of its arms from Russia, the Saudis relied heavily on US arms. US and Russia together supplied more than half of all exports. China, France and Germany were also among the top five exporters.
“With no regional arms control instruments in place, states in Asia continue to expand their arsenals,” said Siemon Wezeman, senior researcher at Sipri’s arms and military expenditure programme. Vietnam, in particular, dramatically increased imports by 202%, which puts it in the list of 10 largest importers compared to its hitherto position in the 29th place.
“While China is increasingly able to substitute arms imports with indigenous products, India remains dependent on weapons technology from many willing suppliers, including Russia, the USA, European states, Israel and South Korea,” Wezeman said.
Despite staggering figures in the Middle East, which includes a 245% increase in the imports of arms by Qatar, Iran, which is under an arms embargo, received only 1.2% of total arms transfers to the region. In 2016, Iran took delivery of S-300 air defence missile systems from Russia in its first significant import of major weapons system since 2007.
The Iranian foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, responding to Donald Trump’s warning that the US was putting Iran “on notice” after testing a ballistic missile, had complained that “we spend a fraction of their expenditure on weapons,” referring to Iran’s Arab neighbours.
“Over the past five years, most states in the Middle East have turned primarily to the USA and Europe in their accelerated pursuit of advanced military capabilities”, said Pieter Wezeman, another senior researcher at Sipri.
The high demands for arsenals in the Middle East was in contrast with the plummeting oil prices. “Despite low oil prices, countries in the region continued to order more weapons in 2016, perceiving them as crucial tools for dealing with conflicts and regional tensions.”
China solidified its position as a top-tier supplier by increasing exports by 6.2% compared to 3.8% in the period between 2007 and 2011, while Germany decreased its exports by 36% between the same period. Algeria was the largest importer in Africa.
The US’s main three customers were Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey. Saudi Arabia was particularly a lucrative market for the UK, which sold almost half of its total weapons to the monarchy.
“The USA supplies major arms to at least 100 countries around the world - significantly more than any other supplier state,” said Aude Fleurant, director of the Sipri’s arms and military expenditure programme. “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.”
Global arms trade reaches highest point since cold war era
Global Arms Sales Paint Chilling Picture of World at War
Global sales of major arms systems have risen over the past five years to the highest volume since the end of the Cold War, according to the Stockholm International Peace Institute’s (SIPRI) annual report on arms sales.
SIPRI, an international institute that researches “conflict, armaments, arms control and disarmament,” said on Monday that more weapons were delivered between 2012 and 2016 than any other five-year period since 1990. Between 2007-2011 and 2012-2016, arms imports by national governments in the Middle East rose by 86 percent.
As noted by the Guardian:
“Saudi Arabia, which leads a military intervention in Yemen that has costs hundreds of civilian lives, was the world’s second largest importer after India, increasing its intake by 212 %, mainly from the US and the UK.”
However, there are some issues with the Guardian’s statement. First, according to the U.N., well over 10,000 civilians have been killed, a staggering difference when compared with the Guardian’s watered down reference to “hundreds of civilians lives.” The vast majority of these civilians have been killed directly by the Saudi-led coalition. Second, the Saudi-led war can hardly be called an intervention considering the brutal and illegal nature of the ongoing operation. The term “war of aggression” is more appropriate.
As a result of this cozy Saudi-U.S. relationship, Saudi arms imports have tripled during the war in Yemen. The Obama administration sold the oil-rich kingdom at least $115 billion worth of weapons, as Anti-Media has previously reported.
SIPRI’s report concluded that Asia was the main recipient region in the world. India was seen to have dwarfed its rivals, China and Pakistan, by accounting for 13 percent of global imports. Most interesting, however, is that India relies primarily on Russian imports as opposed to NATO countries, further complicating alliances in the region.
Together, the United States and Russia have supplied more than half of all exports. Unsurprisingly, the United States continues to remain the world’s biggest arms dealer.
Iran, the country that has been vilified as the world’s biggest sponsor of terrorism and regional aggressor, received a mere 1.2 percent of the region’s arms transfers. Conversely, arms imports into Qatar, alone, have risen by 245 per cent.
The report’s damning conclusions reaffirm what many have been warning about for some time now, including former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev: the whole world is preparing for war.
Global Arms Sales Paint Chilling Picture of World at War
Increase in arms transfers driven by demand in the Middle East and Asia, says SIPRI
The volume of international transfers of major weapons has grown continuously since 2004 and increased by 8.4 per cent between 2007-11 and 2012-16, according to new data on arms transfers published today by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Notably, transfers of major weapons in 2012-16 reached their highest volume for any five-year period since the end of the cold war.
The flow of arms increased to Asia and Oceania and the Middle East between 2007-11 and 2012-16, while there was a decrease in the flow to Europe, the Americas and Africa. The five biggest exporters-the United States, Russia, China, France and Germany-together accounted for 74 per cent of the total volume of arms exports.
Asia: major increases for some states
Arms imports by states in Asia and Oceania increased by 7.7 per cent between 2007-11 and 2012-16 and accounted for 43 per cent of global imports in 2012-16.
India was the world’s largest importer of major arms in 2012-16, accounting for 13 per cent of the global total. Between 2007-11 and 2012-16 it increased its arms imports by 43 per cent. In 2012-16 India’s imports were far greater than those of its regional rivals China and Pakistan.
Imports by countries in South East Asia increased 6.2 per cent from 2007-11 to 2012-16. Viet Nam made a particularly large jump from being the 29th largest importer in 2007-11 to the 10th largest in 2012-16, with arms imports increasing by 202 per cent.
‘With no regional arms control instruments in place, states in Asia continue to expand their arsenals’, said Siemon Wezeman, Senior Researcher with the SIPRI Arms and Military Expenditure Programme. ‘While China is increasingly able to substitute arms imports with indigenous products, India remains dependent on weapons technology from many willing suppliers, including Russia, the USA, European states, Israel and South Korea’.
Middle East: arms imports almost double
Between 2007-11 and 2012-16 arms imports by states in the Middle East rose by 86 per cent and accounted for 29 per cent of global imports in 2012-16.
Saudi Arabia was the world’s second largest arms importer in 2012-16, with an increase of 212 per cent compared with 2007-11. Arms imports by Qatar went up by 245 per cent. Although at lower rates, the majority of other states in the region also increased arms imports. ‘Over the past five years, most states in the Middle East have turned primarily to the USA and Europe in their accelerated pursuit of advanced military capabilities’, said Pieter Wezeman, Senior Researcher with the SIPRI Arms and Military Expenditure Programme. ‘Despite low oil prices, countries in the region continued to order more weapons in 2016, perceiving them as crucial tools for dealing with conflicts and regional tensions.’
Arms exporters: the USA accounts for one-third of total
With a one-third share of global arms exports, the USA was the top arms exporter in 2012- 16. Its arms exports increased by 21 per cent compared with 2007-11. Almost half of its arms exports went to the Middle East.
‘The USA supplies major arms to at least 100 countries around the world-significantly more than any other supplier state’, said Dr Aude Fleurant, Director of the SIPRI Arms and Military Expenditure Programme. ‘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.’
Russia accounted for a 23 per cent share of global exports in the period 2012-16. 70 per cent of its arms exports went to four countries: India, Viet Nam, China and Algeria.
China’s share of global arms exports rose from 3.8 to 6.2 per cent between 2007-11 and 2012-16. It is now firmly a top-tier supplier, like France and Germany which accounted for 6 per cent and 5.6 per cent, respectively. The ongoing lower rate of French arms export deliveries may end soon because of a series of major contracts signed in the past five years. Despite a spike in arms exports in 2016, German arms exports-counted over a five-year period-decreased by 36 per cent between 2007-11 and 2012-16.
Other notable developments
- Algeria was the largest arms importer in Africa with 46 per cent of all imports to the region.
- The largest importers in sub-Saharan Africa-Nigeria, Sudan and Ethiopia-are all in conflict zones.
- Total arms imports by states in the Americas decreased by 18 per cent between 2007-11 and 2012-16. However, changes in import volumes varied considerably. Colombia’s arms imports decreased by 19 per cent, while Mexico’s arms imports grew by 184 per cent in 2012-16 compared with 2007-11.
- Imports by states in Europe significantly decreased by 36 per cent between 2007-11 and 2012-16. Initial deliveries to Europe of advanced combat aircraft as part of major contracts started in 2012-16 and further deliveries will drive import volumes up in the coming years.
- Imports by Azerbaijan were 20 times higher than those of Armenia in 2012-16.
Global arms trade reaches highest point since cold war era
Middle East almost doubles weapons imports, as US and Europe remain the main suppliers and China joins top-tier exporters
The global transfer of major weapons systems rose over the past five years to the highest volume since the end of the cold war as the Middle East nearly doubled its imports, according to an annual report on arms sales.
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) said on Monday that more weapons were delivered between 2012 and 2016 than any other five-year period since 1990. Saudi Arabia, which leads a military intervention in Yemen that has cost hundreds of civilian lives, was the world’s second largest importer after India, increasing its intake by 212%, mainly from the US and the UK.
Asia was the main recipient region in the world as India dwarfed regional rivals, China and Pakistan, by accounting for 13% of the global imports. While India received most of its arms from Russia, the Saudis relied heavily on US arms. US and Russia together supplied more than half of all exports. China, France and Germany were also among the top five exporters.
“With no regional arms control instruments in place, states in Asia continue to expand their arsenals,” said Siemon Wezeman, senior researcher at Sipri’s arms and military expenditure programme. Vietnam, in particular, dramatically increased imports by 202%, which puts it in the list of 10 largest importers compared to its hitherto position in the 29th place.
“While China is increasingly able to substitute arms imports with indigenous products, India remains dependent on weapons technology from many willing suppliers, including Russia, the USA, European states, Israel and South Korea,” Wezeman said.
Despite staggering figures in the Middle East, which includes a 245% increase in the imports of arms by Qatar, Iran, which is under an arms embargo, received only 1.2% of total arms transfers to the region. In 2016, Iran took delivery of S-300 air defence missile systems from Russia in its first significant import of major weapons system since 2007.
The Iranian foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, responding to Donald Trump’s warning that the US was putting Iran “on notice” after testing a ballistic missile, had complained that “we spend a fraction of their expenditure on weapons,” referring to Iran’s Arab neighbours.
“Over the past five years, most states in the Middle East have turned primarily to the USA and Europe in their accelerated pursuit of advanced military capabilities”, said Pieter Wezeman, another senior researcher at Sipri.
The high demands for arsenals in the Middle East was in contrast with the plummeting oil prices. “Despite low oil prices, countries in the region continued to order more weapons in 2016, perceiving them as crucial tools for dealing with conflicts and regional tensions.”
China solidified its position as a top-tier supplier by increasing exports by 6.2% compared to 3.8% in the period between 2007 and 2011, while Germany decreased its exports by 36% between the same period. Algeria was the largest importer in Africa.
The US’s main three customers were Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey. Saudi Arabia was particularly a lucrative market for the UK, which sold almost half of its total weapons to the monarchy.
“The USA supplies major arms to at least 100 countries around the world - significantly more than any other supplier state,” said Aude Fleurant, director of the Sipri’s arms and military expenditure programme. “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.”
Global arms trade reaches highest point since cold war era