India remains World's top arms importer: SIPRI

New Delhi: India remains the World's top arms importer, but its imports declined by 11 per cent between 2013-17 and 2018-22. The decline was linked to India's efforts to diversify arms suppliers and attempts to replace imports with local designs, said the latest Stockholm International Peace and Research Institute (SIPRI).

Russian arms exports decreased to 8 of its ten biggest recipients between 2013-17 and 2018-22. Exports to India, the largest recipient of Russian arms, fell by 37 per cent, while exports to the other 7 decreased by an average of 59 per cent. However, Russian arms exports increased to China (+39 per cent) and Egypt (+44 per cent), and they became Russia's second and third largest recipients.

SIPRI arms transfer data report

SIPRI, in their latest arms transfer data report, said that there had been a surge in arms imports to Europe while US dominance of the global arms trade increased.

Imports of major arms by European states increased by 47 per cent between 2013-17 and 2018-22, while the global level of international arms transfers decreased by 5.1 per cent.

As arms transfers have declined globally, those to Europe have risen sharply due to the tensions between Russia and most other European states,' said Pieter D. Wezeman, Senior Researcher with the SIPRI Arms Transfers Programme.

"Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, European states want to import more arms faster. The strategic competition also continues elsewhere: arms imports to East Asia have increased, and those to the Middle East remain at a high level."

US and French arms exports increase as Russian exports decline

Global arms exports have long been dominated by the USA and Russia (consistently the largest and second-largest arms exporters for the past three decades). However, the gap between the two has been widening significantly, while that between Russia and the third largest supplier, France, has narrowed.

US arms exports increased by 14 per cent between 2013-17 and 2018-22, and the USA accounted for 40 per cent of global arms exports in 2018-22. Russia's arms exports fell by 31 per cent between 2013-17 and 2018-22, and its share of global arms exports decreased from 22 per cent to 16 per cent, while France's share increased from 7.1 per cent to 11 per cent.

Russian arms exports decreased to 8 of its ten biggest recipients between 2013-17 and 2018-22. Exports to India, the largest recipient of Russian arms, fell by 37 per cent, while exports to the other 7 decreased by an average of 59 per cent.

However, Russian arms exports increased to China (+39 per cent) and Egypt (+44 per cent), and they became Russia's second and third largest recipients.

'It is likely that the invasion of Ukraine will further limit Russia's arms exports. This is because Russia will prioritize supplying its armed forces, and demand from other states will remain low due to trade sanctions on Russia and increasing pressure from the USA and its allies not to buy Russian arms,' said Siemon T. Wezeman, Senior Researcher with the SIPRI.

Ukraine becomes World's third-largest arms importer in 2022

Ukraine became the 3rd biggest importer of major arms during 2022 (after Qatar and India) and the 14th biggest for 2018-22. Ukraine accounted for 2.0 per cent of global arms imports in the five years.

Ukraine imported a few major arms from 1991 until the end of 2021. As a result of military aid from the USA and many European states following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

"Due to concerns about how the supply of combat aircraft and long-range missiles could further escalate the war in Ukraine, NATO states declined Ukraine's requests for them in 2022. At the same time, they supplied such arms to other states involved in the conflict, particularly in the Middle East and South Asia,' said Pieter D. Wezeman, Senior Researcher with the SIPRI Arms Transfers Programme.

Asia and Oceania are still the top importing region

Asia and Oceania received 41 per cent of major arms transfers in 2018-22, a slightly smaller share than in 2013-17. Despite the overall decline in transfers to the region, there were marked increases in some states and marked decreases in others. Six states in the area were among the ten largest importers globally in 2018-22: India, Australia, China, South Korea, Pakistan, and Japan.

Arms imports by East Asian states increased by 21 per cent between 2013-17 and 2018-22. Arms imports by China rose by 4.1 per cent, with most coming from Russia. However, the most significant increases in East Asia were by US treaty allies South Korea (+61 per cent) and Japan (+171 per cent). Australia, the largest arms importer in Oceania, increased its imports by 23 per cent.

India remains the World's top arms importer, but its imports declined by 11 per cent between 2013-17 and 2018-22. This decline was linked to a complex procurement process, efforts to diversify arms suppliers and attempts to replace imports with local designs. Imports by Pakistan, the World's eighth largest arms importer in 2018-22, increased by 14 per cent, with China as its leading supplier.