More than half of all U.S. arms exports has decreased in the past five years in the Middle East. As the floor announced by the Stockholm peace research Institute Sipri, increased the United States its global arms exports in the years 2014 to 2018, compared to the previous five years of 29 percent. Thus, a third (36 percent) was more than of all international arms exports from the United States.
“The US has consolidated its Position as the world’s leading weapons supplier,” said the Sipri arms expert Aude Fleurant. They have supplied weapons such as fighter jets, short-range missiles and Lenkbomben in at least 98 countries; the USA had a lot more different customers than other exporting countries. The export of US arms industry were combat aircraft – and in view of the order numbers is to be expected according to Sipri, that you remain it in the first instance: by the end of 2018 891 fighter jets were, therefore, on the US-order lists.
Worldwide the total volume of imports and exports in the five – year comparison grew by 7.8 percent. The second-largest exporter, continues to be Russia, even if with a greater and greater distance, because Russia got less orders from India and Venezuela.
Germany exported more ships and U-boats than ever before
During the Russian exports declining, export of France (3. Place), Germany (4.) and China (5.) more weapons than in the previous five years. Germany’s exports rose by 13 per cent, the main buyers were South Korea, Greece and Israel, especially on German ships and U-boats interest.
The countries of the Middle East imported 87 percent more armaments than before. As reasons for the Sipri announced in front of all, the Yemen war, and the mistrust between Iran and Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates on the other side. Weapons from the United States, Britain and France were in conflict – and tension-filled Gulf region very much in demand, said Sipri specialist Pieter Wezeman. Saudi Arabia alone has increased its imports, according to Sipri, by 192 percent, which replaced India as the largest importer of Arms. It is Egypt, Australia and Algeria to follow.
The Federal government had in November 2018, as a reaction to the killing of the government is critical of the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi all arms exports to Saudi-stopped Arabia. Federal foreign Minister Heiko Maas had made a cancellation of the delivery prohibition, the last-of progress in the peace process for the Yemen.
“countries need to take responsibility, as Germany has done in the case of Saudi Arabia,” said Wezeman. It is extremely important that it will be discussed why countries got weapons, and why other countries they exported.
The German government had approved of 2018 almost a quarter less arms exports than in the previous year. The Trend continued three years; more permits than in the previous year were least pronounced in 2015.
Saudi Arabia to 2018, Topkunde of the German arms industry
Despite the in November imposed Export ban in Saudi Arabia to 2018, still counted among the best customers of the German arms industry, with export permits to the value of 416 million euros. Also for Algeria and Pakistan to 2018 export permits in the three-digit million range were issued.
The Sipri researchers in their Reports of long-term international Trends, the values are sized according to the volume, the financial value of arms deals.
