By our Foreign Correspondent
Stockholm, March 13 (IVC) India was the world’s top arms importer during the period 2019-23 with an increase of 4.7 per cent compared with the period 2014-18 , according to the Swedish think tank Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
At the same time , arms import by European countries increased by 94 per cent between 2014-18 and 2019-23 which comes in the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, the SIPRI report revealed.
“Although Russia remained India’s main arms supplier (accounting for 36 per cent of its arms imports ) this was the first five-year period since 1960-64 when deliveries from Russia (or the Soviet Union prior to 1991) made up less than half of India’s arms imports” as per new data on international arms transfers from SIPRI released here on March 11. “ Nine of the 10 biggest arms importers during 2019-23 , including the top three – India, Saudi Arabia and Qatar- were in Asia and Oceania or West Asia . Ukraine became the fourth biggest arms importer after it received transfers of major arms in 2022-23”.
In the interim Budget presented in February for India’s financial year 2024-25 the total allocation for the Defense Ministry was at Rs 6.2 lakh crore of which the capital allocation , for new procurements was Rs 1.72 lakh crore , 5.78 per cent higher than the Budget Estimates of last year. India seems to have come back to the top slot in arms imports after briefly ceding space to Saudi Arabia in the past, the report added.
Imports of Pakistan , the fifth largest arms importer during 2019-23 , went up by 43 per cent , with China supplying as much as 82 per cent of its arms imports.
Arms exports of the world’s largest supplier , the United States of America (USA) grew by 17 per cent between 2014-18 and 2019-23 while those by Russia fell more than half that is 53 per cent. At the same time , France emerged as the world’s second largest arms supplier as its exports grew by 47 per cent.
Over one half of arms imports by European countries , 55 per cent , in 2019-23 were from the USA , up from 35 per cent in 2014-18. “Europe is accountable for about a third of global arms exports, including large volumes going outside the region, reflecting Europe’s strong military-industrial capacity” said SIPRI’s director Dan Smith.
In this regard, Mathew George , Director of the SIPRI arms transfers program me, said the USA had increased its global role as an arms supplier –an important aspect of its foreign policy- exporting to more countries than it has ever done in the past.
On France, which is now the second largest arms supplier , the report said 42 per cent of its arms went to states in Asia and Oceania and another 34 per cent to the West Asia.
“The largest single recipient of French arms exports was India which accounted for nearly 30 per cent. The increase in French arms exports was largely due to deliveries of combat aircraft to India , Qatar and Egypt” the report stated. “With many high value arms on order –including nearly 800 combat aircraft and combat helicopters – European arms imports are likely to remain at a high level “ said Peter Wizeman, senior researcher with the SIPRI arms transfers program me.
