US arms sales good for a record US$66 billion
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E-mail China.org.cn, August 29, 2012
In 2011, weapons sales from the U.S. to other countries tripled to significantly large amount of US$66.3 billion, according to the Congressional Research Service's annual survey of global arms.
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In 2011, U.S. weapons sales tripled to the significantly large amount of US$66.3 billion. [File Photo] |
Coming in second to the U.S. was Russia with US$4.8 billion, and in third place we find France with a total of t US$4.4 billion, according to the report.
China's 2011 sales came to a total of $2.1 billion, yet the nation's weapons trade was aimed less at larger weapons platforms such as planes, than it was at smaller weapons.
Saudi Arabia was the U.S.' biggest client last year, spending a total of US$33.4 billion and making up about half of 2011sales, according to the report.
Saudi Arabia's purchases counted several 84 new F-15 fighter jets on top of some upgrades for 70 others- all including ammunition and missiles. Saudi Arabia also acquired a large number of Apache helicopters and several multi-use Blackhawk helicopters.
As the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.) find themselves in very close proximity to Iran, the nation bought a highly sophisticated missile shield system called the Theater High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) along with its corresponding radar systems for the sum of $3.5 billion. The U.A.E. also spent $939 million on Chinook transport helicopters. And finally, the state of Oman bought 18 F-16 fighter jets for a total of $1.4 billion.
"For certain developing nations in these regions, the strength of their individual economies appears to be a key factor in their decisions to proceed with major arms purchases," the report read.
Over the past decade, America and Russia have been the main providers of arms to developing countries, making up almost 70 percent of the total from 2008 to 2011, according to the report. Moscow actually overtook Washington in the worth of the arms deals signed between 2003 and 2006, only to be swept aside by Washington the following five years.
While U.S. weapons sales have been soaring, the international arms market is “not growing at all," according to the report.
"There continue to be significant constraints on its (international arms market) growth, due, in particular, to the weakened state of the global economy," the report stated.
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