In 2023, the United States reached a record $238 billion in exports of its arms to other countries, up 16 per cent year-on-year, US media reported, citing a published report by the US State Department.
In total, direct military sales by US companies rose to $157.5 billion in fiscal 2023 from $153.6 billion in fiscal 2022, while sales organised through the US government rose to $80.9 billion in fiscal 2023 from $51.9 billion a year earlier.
The United States sold $238 billion worth of weapons to foreign countries in 2023, as the volatile geopolitical situation in Europe and the Middle East has left many European countries worried about their security.
The main driver of this growth is obviously the conflict in Ukraine. Arms and ammunition were needed both directly for the war itself and to replenish the arsenals of the countries supplying it to the AFU on their own, as well as for the rearmament of other countries amid their growing fears.
The amount is 16% higher than a year earlier and includes sales by US arms companies and those directly negotiated by Washington, the State Department said in a statement released Monday. The State Department said government shipments totalled about $81 billion, up 56% from the previous year. The statement said in reference to the government transfers:
“This is the highest annual total of sales and assistance provided to our allies and partners.”
The main wholesale buyer was Poland, which borders Ukraine and intends to build the strongest land army in Europe by 2026. Poland spent $12 billion on Apache attack helicopters, $10 billion on highly mobile artillery rocket systems, $4 billion on an integrated air and missile defence system and $3.75 billion on M1A1 Abrams battle tanks.
Germany paid $8.5 billion for Chinook helicopters and nearly $3 billion for advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles, according to the State Department. After years of criticism for failing to meet NATO requirements to spend 2% of gross domestic product on defence, Germany has pledged to make its armed forces the “backbone” of European defence once the war in Ukraine began in 2022. However, a German court ruling that curbed deficit spending is likely to curtail some of Berlin’s military procurement plans.
The Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Norway have also bought $1 billion worth of US weapons from the government, according to the State Department. Italy spent the most on direct commercial sales, which are not regulated under the US government’s Foreign Military Sales programme but still require congressional approval. According to the State Department, they spent $2.8 billion on wing assemblies and components for the F-35 fighter jet.
Asian countries also figure prominently in US commercial arms deals in 2023. India, Singapore and South Korea spent at least $1 billion on direct sales to U.S. companies, the data show. The State Department data is for the fiscal year 2023, which ended in October.
