55% of weapons imported from the US
Ranked 10th with increased exports to Korea and Poland
In the aftermath of the Ukraine War, arms imports across Europe increased by nearly double (94%) over the five years from 2019 to 2023 compared to the previous five years (2014 to 2018).
In particular, Ukraine, which received arms support from over 30 countries around the world, increased its arms imports by 6,633% during the same period, becoming Europe’s No. 1 arms importer. During this period, arms exports to Europe not only from the world’s No. 1 military power, the United States, but also from Korea, a ‘defense industry powerhouse,’ were found to have increased significantly.
According to a report released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) in Sweden on the 11th (local time), Ukraine accounted for 4.9% of global arms imports from 2019 to 2023, followed by India (9.8%), Saudi Arabia (8.4%), and Qatar (8.4%). It became the world’s fourth-largest arms importer, following China (7.6%).
Pakistan, Japan, Egypt, Australia, Korea, and China were among the top 10 arms importing countries.
During the same period, the top arms exporting country was the United States, accounting for 42% of global exports. France (11%), Russia (11%), China (5.8%), and Germany (5.6%) were in the top five.
Korea ranked 10th, accounting for 2.0% of global arms exports. The main export countries of Korean weapons were Poland, the Philippines, and India.
The country that benefited the most from the surge in arms imports from Europe was the United States, the number one exporter. Between 2019 and 2023, 55% of weapons imported by European countries were manufactured in the United States. It increased by 20 percentage points from 35% from 2014 to 2018. In particular, there appears to be a high demand for American-made fighter jets.
Currently, at least 107 countries have purchased American weapons. SIPRI commented that arms exports are an important part of U.S. foreign policy and that “we are strengthening this role and exporting weapons to more countries than ever before.”
On the other hand, Russia’s status as an arms exporter has weakened significantly in the face of a prolonged war and sanctions from European countries. Weapons were exported to 31 countries in 2019, but fell significantly to 12 countries last year. In particular, India, which has been a major importer of Russian weapons, is also increasing its imports of French weapons, including Rafale fighter jets.
China mainly exported weapons to Asian countries, including Pakistan. At the same time, over the past five years, imports have been reduced by replacing core weapons such as fighter jets and ships with domestically produced ones. Between 2019 and 2023, China’s arms imports decreased by 44% compared to the previous five years. SIPRI analyzed that this was due to China’s improvement in design and production capabilities.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.