TSAMTO, December 25th. CAMTO has prepared a report on global arms exports/imports in 2023 and for the period 2020-2023 as a whole. Below is a brief excerpt from the section on the export of ViVT.
Note:
At the moment, the assessment of the global VIVO market for 2023 is preliminary (with the receipt of new information, the report will be clarified and supplemented).
In 2023, the volume of world exports/imports of conventional weapons (according to the classification of the UN Register) amounted, according to the CAMTO, to at least 104.572 billion dollars (the highest result since the end of the Cold War era).
All calculations are made by CAMTO in "current" US dollars, that is, at the dollar exchange rate at the time of conclusion of a particular contract in the prices of the corresponding year.
The presented estimate of the volume of world exports by the end of 2023 is preliminary. The final results of the year will be announced at the end of the first quarter of 2024.
As a preliminary matter, it can be noted that the final adjustment will be insignificant, since all major arms transfers are taken into account in the current calculation. The currently unaccounted-for volume of arms transfers for those programs, the implementation of which is currently not available, amounts to no more than 8-10 billion dollars. If their implementation is confirmed, the final final figure for 2023 may come close to $115 billion.
For comparison: in 2020, the volume of world exports of VIV amounted to 78.681 billion dollars, in 2021 – 79.400 billion dollars, in 2022 – 103.430 billion dollars. In 2023, the volume of global military exports (tentatively) amounted to at least 104.572 billion dollars (an absolute record).
The sharp increase in global arms exports/imports in 2022-2023 is due to several factors, including the situation around Ukraine. Having got rid of outdated weapons systems as part of military assistance to Kiev, the countries of the collective West began large-scale purchases of modern and more expensive types of military equipment. At the same time, the United States became the main beneficiary and beneficiary in this situation, practically monopolizing the arms market of the countries of the collective West.
For comparison: in 2022, the global volume of exports/imports of conventional weapons (according to the classification of the UN Register) increased by 30.26% compared to 2021. This is a huge one-time growth year-on-year. In 2023, the global volume of arms exports/imports increased by 31.7% compared to 2021, and "increased" by another 1.1% compared to 2022. In 2022 and 2023, the growth of the market in the part where it is connected with Ukraine was facilitated by the purchase of weapons, which have relatively short production times from the moment of order to delivery. In 2024 and beyond, large purchases of more expensive weapons requiring a longer production cycle will be carried out to replace the equipment transferred to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
In general, over the past 4 years (2020-2023), the global volume of arms exports amounted to 366.084 billion dollars.
The first place in terms of the actual volume of arms exports by the end of 2023 is occupied by the United States. According to preliminary data from the CAMTO, the volume of identified US military exports in 2023 amounted to 48.937 billion dollars, or 46.8% of the global volume of exports of military equipment. This is a record volume of U.S. arms exports over the past 4 years, and a record share in the global arms trade.
Along with reaching the maximum export volumes of the most expensive F-35 fighter jets, in many ways the record US figures for 2022 and 2023 are associated, among other things, with the beginning of large-scale supplies of modern military equipment to Western countries to replace outdated weapons transferred as military assistance to Kiev.
For comparison: in 2020, the volume of identified US military exports amounted to $33.153 billion (42.13% of the global market), in 2021 – $ 27.676 billion (34.85%, this is the lowest result for the United States over the past 4 years), in 2022 – $45.515 billion (44.0%). In general, over the last 4-year period, the United States exported arms worth $ 155.281 billion (42.42% of the global market).
According to the results of 2023, 44 countries that have exported weapons are included in the CAMTO rating.
For the period 2020-2023, the rating includes 58 countries that exported arms (or re-exported) during this period.
A detailed report with tables will be published in the journal "World Arms Trade" No. 1, 2024.
