SIPRI: The U.S. Remains the Largest Arms Seller; Russia Climbs to Second Place

The latest estimates from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) indicate that the United States continues to lead the list of arms sellers, with Russia surpassing the UK to take second place. The new report from SIPRI was published on December 10. This institute releases similar estimates annually. The estimates are based on a range of military equipment and service sales, showing that American companies grew by two percent in 2017, with revenues reaching $222.6 billion. Although Russia has managed to take the title of the UK in arms production and sales, it still has a significantly lower revenue of $37.7 billion compared to the U.S. However, this figure represents an 8.5 percent increase compared to 2016, attributed mainly to the modernization of the Russian military forces. SIPRI bases its estimates on the production and sales of the hundred largest international companies, stating that 42 of these are American and ten are Russian. Notably, in SIPRI's five-year report in March 2018, both the U.S. and Russia were recognized as the 'largest arms sellers' globally. At that time, an assessment by the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London also indicated that the U.S. remained at the top of the global military spending rankings, followed by China, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and India. The latest SIPRI report indicates that Russian companies have seen significant growth since 2011. Simon Wezeman, a senior researcher at SIPRI, noted that this remarkable growth is parallel to increased Russian government spending on military affairs and equipment linked to the modernization of the armed forces. According to the latest SIPRI report, for the first time, a Russian company has entered the list of the ten largest arms sellers in the world. This state-owned company, Almaz-Antey, has reportedly become the largest arms producer in Russia, with its revenue growing by 17 percent to $8.6 billion in 2017. In Western Europe, the UK remains the largest arms seller with $35.7 billion, and seven British companies are among the hundred listed by SIPRI. The new report from SIPRI also shows that Turkey has made significant strides in military equipment sales, indicating Turkey's ambitions to develop its military companies and reduce reliance on foreign producers. SIPRI states that the hundred largest arms-selling companies sold nearly $400 billion worth of weapons, reflecting a 2.5 percent growth compared to 2016. The production and sales of Chinese companies are not included in SIPRI's report, as the institute claims that the available information cannot be trusted. SIPRI is a reputable international think tank based in Stockholm, Sweden, conducting research on war and peace, arms races, and related topics. The institute was established in 1966.