US arms exports hit record high.

U.S. arms sales to foreign countries increased by 16% in fiscal year 2023, reaching over $238 billion, the highest level ever.

A report released by the US State Department on January 29th indicated that arms sales through direct transactions between US defense companies and foreign governments reached $157.5 billion in fiscal year 2023, a slight increase from $153.6 billion the previous year, while revenue through intermediaries rose from $51.9 billion to $80.9 billion.

In total, US arms exports in fiscal year 2023 reached $238.5 billion, a 16% increase over the previous year and the highest figure ever.

"Arms transfers and defense deals are important foreign policy tools for the U.S., capable of creating lasting impacts on regional and global security," the report states.

US arms exports surged amid efforts by many NATO countries to acquire weapons in response to a potential escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Poland, a country sharing 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, in October 2023. Photo: AFP

The country has reached a $12 billion agreement to purchase AH-64E Apache combat helicopters manufactured by Washington, as well as spending $10 billion on HIMARS multiple rocket launchers, $4 billion on the Integrated Command and Control System (IBCS), and $3.75 billion on M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks.

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

Washington's arms sales surged amid Russia's focus on the Ukraine conflict, its main rival in the arms export market. 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 purchasing Russian military equipment.

US HIMARS multiple rocket launchers fire during joint exercises in Indonesia in September 2023. Photo: AFP

Following the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine, the US and its allies imposed additional sanctions on Moscow, making it difficult for the country to access certain high-tech components for manufacturing weapons and to receive payments from partners.

Russia's defense industry also needs to focus its resources on serving military needs rather than selling weapons abroad, while images of Moscow's equipment being destroyed or damaged on the battlefield have led some of Russia's long-standing customers to question the quality of weapons produced by the country.

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

Meanwhile, in November 2023, Russia's Rostec defense corporation asserted that Moscow-made weapons were gaining more attention due to their effectiveness in the conflict in Ukraine, including the Su-35 fighter jet, Ka-52 combat helicopter, T-90 tank, TOS-1A thermobaric artillery, Msta-S self-propelled artillery, and many other pieces of equipment.

Pham Giang (Based on Reuters, Politico, BI )

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