Merkava Barak (IDF)
Israel is one of the world’s largest arms exporters, something that should come as little surprise. According to a report released by SIPRI – the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Israel was the world’s ninth largest exporter of arms from 2019 – 2023. The USA was, of course, the largest arms exporter in the world.
While the U.S had a 42% share of the global arms industry, Israel’s was just 2.4%.
Israel’s arms exports saw a 25% decline from the four years 2014 – 2018.
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Between 2014–18 and 2019–23, arms imports by Israel rose marginally (+5.1%), reported SIPRI. The US accounted for 69% and Germany for 30% of Israeli arms imports. Imported weapons, in particular combat aircraft received from the US over several decades, have played a major role in Israel’s military actions against Hamas and Hezbollah. At the end of 2023, the US rapidly delivered thousands of guided bombs and missiles to Israel, but the total volume of Israeli arms imports from the US in 2023 was almost the same as in 2022. By the end of 2023, pending deliveries of major arms to Israel included 61 combat aircraft from the USA and 4 submarines from Germany.
SIPRI also found that arms imports by states in the Middle East were 12% lower in 2019–23 than in 2014–18. Three of the top 10 arms importers in 2019–23 were in the Middle East: Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt. The USA accounted for 52% of Middle Eastern arms imports. The next biggest suppliers were France (12%), Italy (10%) and Germany (7.1%).
Saudi Arabia was the world’s second largest arms importer in 2019–23, with an 8.4% share of all arms imports. Its arms imports fell by 28% after peaking at their highest point ever in 2014–18.
Qatar was the third largest arms importer in the world, with a global share of 7.6%, as its arms imports increased by 396 per cent between 2014–18 and 2019–23.
Iran’s arms imports have been at a very low level relative to those of other arms importers in the Gulf region since around 1993. In 2023 Iran placed by far its largest import order for major arms in 20 years, for 24 combat aircraft from Russia.
