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13/03/24 08:19 AM IST

India world’s top arms importer between 2019-23: SIPRI

In News
  • India was the world’s top arms importer for the period 2019-23 with imports having gone up by 4.7% compared to the period 2014-18.
Major Highlights
  • Although Russia remained India’s main arms supplier [accounting for 36% of its arms imports], this was the first five-year period since 1960–64 when deliveries from Russia [or the Soviet Union prior to 1991] made up less than half of India’s arms imports.
  • Nine of the 10 biggest arms importers in 2019–23, including the top 3 of India, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, were in Asia and Oceania or the Middle East.
  • Ukraine became the fourth biggest arms importer globally after it received transfers of major arms from over 30 states in 2022-23.Imports of Pakistan, the fifth largest arms importer in 2019–23, went up by 43%, with China supplying as much as 82% of all its arms imports.
  • Arms exports of the world’s largest supplier, U.S. grew by 17% between 2014–18 and 2019–23, while those by Russia fell by more than half, -53%.
  • At the same time, France emerged as the world’s second largest arms supplier as its exports grew by 47%.
  • Among the top 10 arms exporters, five of them saw decrease between the two five-year periods: China (-5.3%), Germany (-14%), U.K. (-14%), Spain (-3.3%) and Israel (-25%).
  • Over half of arms imports by European countries, 55%, in 2019–23 were from the U.S., up from 35% in 2014–18. “More than half of arms imports by European states come from the U.S.A.
  • On France, which is now the second largest arms supplier, the report said 42% of its arms went to states in Asia and Oceania, and another 34% to the Middle East.
  • The largest single recipient of French arms exports was India, which accounted for nearly 30%. The increase in French arms exports was largely due to deliveries of combat aircraft to India, Qatar and Egypt.
  • With many high-value arms on order — including nearly 800 combat aircraft and combat helicopters — European arms imports are likely to remain at a high level.
Source- The Hindu

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