India continues to be the world’s second-largest arms importer, according to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Worldwide major arms exports have increased on growing demand from countries in conflict, researchers in Sweden said, with top exporter the US widening its lead over Russia.

Over the five years from 2015 to 2019, international arms exports grew by 5.5 per cent from the 2010-14 period, said the report. The largest exporters of arms during the past five years were the US, Russia, France, Germany and China. The new data shows that the flow of arms to West Asia has increased, with Saudi Arabia clearly being the world’s largest importer.

“Overall, arms transfers have increased. Among arms importing countries, the demand is high and seems to have increased a bit,” said Pieter Wezeman, senior researcher at SIPRI.

The increase in arms exports follows a trend since the early 2000s, when arms transfers bottomed out after continually falling for a decade after the end of the Cold War.

What is the purpose of SIPRI?

SIPRI is an independent institute dedicated to research into conflict, armaments, arms control and disarmament. Established in 1966, SIPRI provides data, analysis and recommendations based on open sources. SIPRI was established on the basis of a decision by the Swedish Parliament and receives a substantial part of its funding in the form of an annual grant from the Swedish government.

Decline in imports by India and Pakistan

India was the second-largest arms importer in the world over the past five years, with Pakistan ranking 11th.

“As in previous years, in 2019 India and Pakistan attacked each other using an array of imported major arms. Many of the world’s largest arms exporters have supplied these two states for decades,” says Siemon T. Wezeman, senior researcher at SIPRI.

Between 2010-14 and 2015-19, arms imports by India and Pakistan decreased by 32 and 39 per cent, respectively. While both countries have long-standing aims to produce their own major arms, they remain largely dependent on imports and have substantial outstanding orders and plans for imports of all types of major arms.

Russia was the largest supplier to India in 2010-14 and 2015-19, but deliveries fell by 47 per cent and its share of total Indian arms imports went from 72 to 56 per cent. The US became the second-largest arms supplier to India in 2010-14 as the security relationship between the two countries developed into a strategic partnership.

However, in 2015-19, India continued with its policy of supplier diversification, and imports of arms from the US were 51 per cent lower than in 2010-14. In contrast, arms imports from Israel and France increased, by 175 and 715 per cent, respectively, making them the second and third-largest suppliers of major arms to India in 2015-19.

US delivers arms to 96 countries

Between 2010-14 and 2015-19, exports of major arms from the US grew by 23 per cent, raising its share of total global arms exports to 36 per cent. In 2015-19, total US arms exports were 76 per cent higher than those of the second-largest arms exporter in the world, Russia. Major arms transferred from the US went to a total of 96 countries. Arms transfers from Russia decreased by 18 per cent, largely due to a drop in sales to India.

“Half of US arms exports in the past five years went to the Middle East, and half of those went to Saudi Arabia,” said Wezeman. “At the same time, demand for the US’s advanced military aircraft increased, particularly in Europe, Australia, Japan and Taiwan.”

Exports of French arms saw one of the most dramatic increases - up 72 per cent from the five previous years - putting France ahead of Germany as the third largest exporter in the world, with 7.9 per cent of global exports.

Over half of France’s arms exports were to Egypt, Qatar and India, with deliveries of the Rafale combat aircraft to these countries accounting for nearly a quarter of total French exports.

Half of US arms exports went to West Asia, and half of that to Saudi Arabia. Arms imports by countries in the region increased by 61 per cent between 2010-14 and 2015-19, and accounted for 35 per cent of total global arms imports over the past five years. Saudi Arabia’s arms imports jumped by 130 per cent from the 2010-14 period, and it was on the receiving end of 12 per cent of global major arms transfers in 2015 to 2019.

The researchers also noted that despite “wide-ranging concerns” in the UK and the US about Saudi Arabia’s military intervention in Yemen, both countries continued to export arms to the kingdom.

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