Global arms sales passed $400 billion in 2009: think tank

Stockholm (AFP) Feb 21, 2011 The world's 100 largest arms dealers, excluding Chinese vendors, sold weapons for $401 billion in 2009, with US vendors remaining in first place, according to a report published Monday. "Despite the continuing global economic recession in 2009, the total arms sales of ... 100 of the world's largest arms-producing companies increased by $14.8 billion from 2008," the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said in a statement upon releasing the report.
That amounts to a year-on-year increase of eight percent, and "an increase of a total of 59 percent in real terms since 2002", the think tank said, pointing out that 61.5 percent of all 2009 arms sales made by the top 100 arms dealers could be attributed to 45 companies based in the United States.
"US government spending on military goods and services is a key factor in arms sales increases for US arms-producing and military services companies and for Western European companies with a foothold in the US arms and military services market," SIPRI arms industry expert Susan Jackson explained in the statement.

Related articles

• Global arms sales 'rose as recession hit' (guardian.co.uk)
• Washington Uses Arms Sales To Achieve Global Supremacy by Rick Rozoff (dandelionsalad.wordpress.com)
• World Military and US Military Spending..In response to Mr Lucas. [Zahir shamsery] (ecademy.com)