The US government has reported a sharp increase in its arms transfers, defense services, and security cooperation in the 2023 fiscal year, reaching $80.9 billion—a 55 percent rise from $51.9 billion in 2022. This figure reflects the growing demand for US weapons and military equipment from its allies and partners, especially in Europe and the Middle East, amid escalating tensions and conflicts around the world.
US Arms Exports: A Sign of Commitment or Failure?
The US is the world’s largest arms exporter, accounting for 37 percent of the global market share in the past five years, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). The US supplies arms to 96 countries, with almost half (47 percent) of its exports going to the Middle East. Saudi Arabia alone is the largest recipient of US arms, receiving 24 percent of the total US exports.
However, some critics argue that the US arms exports are also a sign of its foreign policy failures, as they have not prevented or resolved the conflicts that they were intended to address. For instance, the US has been selling billions of dollars worth of weapons and military equipment to Saudi Arabia and its allies, who are engaged in a devastating war in Yemen that has caused a humanitarian crisis and widespread violations of human rights. The US has also been unable to stop the war in Ukraine, where Russia-backed separatists have been fighting the government forces since 2014, despite providing lethal and non-lethal aid to the latter.
US Arms Exports: A Source of Controversy and Scrutiny
US arms exports are not only a matter of foreign policy but also of domestic politics and public opinion. US arms exports are subject to various laws and regulations that aim to ensure that they are consistent with US national security interests, human rights standards, and international obligations. The US Congress has the power to review and approve or disapprove of the proposed arms sales, and the US public has the right to access information and voice their concerns about the potential impacts of the arms exports.
However, US arms exports have often been a source of controversy and scrutiny, as they have raised ethical, legal, and moral questions about the role and responsibility of the US in the global arms trade. The US has been accused of fueling conflicts, enabling human rights abuses, and undermining peace and stability in some regions by selling weapons and military equipment to authoritarian regimes, repressive governments, or warring parties. The US has also been criticized for prioritizing its economic and strategic interests over its values and principles and for failing to monitor and control the end-use and end-users of its arms exports.
US Arms Exports: A Future Outlook
US arms exports are likely to remain high in the near future, as the demand for US weapons and military equipment is expected to persist or increase in the face of the changing global security environment. The US will continue to face competition from other major arms exporters, such as France, Germany, Russia, and China, who have also expanded their market share and diversified their customers in the past five years. The US will also have to deal with the challenges and uncertainties posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which could affect the economic and political conditions of its arms export partners as well as the public’s perception and opinion of its arms export policies and practices.
US arms exports are a complex and multifaceted phenomenon that reflect the US role and influence in the world, as well as the opportunities and risks that they entail. The US arms exports are not only a matter of numbers and statistics but also of values and consequences. The US arms exports are not only a question of what the US can do but also of what the US should do.
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