6. International arms transfers

Chapter:

6. International arms transfers

Source:

SIPRI Yearbook 2012

Author(s):

Paul Holtom, Mark Bromley, Pieter D. Wezeman, Siemon T. Wezeman, Paul Holtom

The volume of international transfers of major conventional weapons grew by 24 per cent between 2002–2006 and 2007–11. The five largest suppliers in 2007–11—the United States, Russia, Germany, France and the United Kingdom—accounted for three-quarters of the volume of exports. Among other suppliers, China and Spain recorded significant increases in the volume of deliveries during 2007–11. While China’s exports are likely to continue to grow, Spain’s order book for ships—which account for the bulk of its exports—indicates that it will not maintain its volume of exports (see section I in this chapter).