Who does Russia sell weapons to?
For Russia, the military-industrial complex continues to play an important role, representing the most high-tech export category. Russia, being the legal successor of the USSR, has managed to preserve its industrial potential in this area and maintains it at a fairly high level. The country currently holds the second largest trade in the world. weaponssecond only to the United States.
Military spending is on the rise worldwide
Every year the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) publishes thematic collections: "Armaments, Disarmament and International Security". The Primakov Institute of World Economy and International Relations is working on the Russian-language version of the collection. At the end of October 2021, the institute presented a translated version of the SIPRI collection for 2020.
The presented study examines the military spending of states, as well as the global arms market as of 2019.
Worldwide military spending at the end of 2019 is estimated at $ 1 billion, reaching a maximum for the entire time while SIPRI is preparing such collections. At the end of 917, the share of international military spending reached 2019% of global GDP.
In 2020, the upward trend in military spending continued despite the coronavirus pandemic, and the highs reached have been updated.
The SIPRI collection for 2021, which has not been translated into Russian, notes that world military spending by the end of 2020 is estimated at $ 1 billion, an increase of 981 percent compared to 9,3. The share of international military spending increased by the end of 2011 to 2020% of global GDP.
In many ways, global military spending is growing thanks to two countries: the United States and China. US military spending by the end of 2020 is estimated at $ 778 billion. Compared to 2019, they increased by 4,4 percent, but at the same time they remain 10 percent less than they were in 2011. At the same time, experts note that US military spending has been growing for the third year in a row.
China traditionally ranks second in the world in terms of military expenditures. At the end of 2020, Beijing's spending is estimated at $ 252 billion, an increase of 1,9 percent by 2019 and immediately by 76 percent by 2011. The PRC is the only country in the world where military spending has been increasing for 26 consecutive years.
India is in third place in terms of military spending, the country spent 72,9 billion dollars for these purposes.
Russia occupies the fourth line in this rating. SIPRI estimates Russia's military spending in 2020 at $ 61,7 billion. Over the year, the growth was 2,5 percent, while experts expected even larger numbers.
In fifth place is the UK, which spent 2020 percent more on military spending in 2,9 than a year earlier.
Russia's share in the global arms market is shrinking
At the end of 2016-2020, the volume of international arms trade remains practically at the same level as in the previous five-year period 2011-2015, remaining at the highest level since the end of the Cold War. At the same time, these values are still 35% lower than were achieved at the peak of the Cold War in 1981-1985.
SIPRI experts note that the coronavirus pandemic and the economic crisis had virtually no impact on arms supplies in 2020. The five largest arms suppliers on the international market remain unchanged. The United States, Russia, France, Germany and China together account for 76% of the total exports of arms and military equipment.
At the same time, since the 1950s, the two largest arms suppliers on the planet have invariably been two countries: the United States and Russia (until 1992, the USSR). Both states are significantly ahead of all other competitors in the market. Thus, the United States continues to hold the first place in the world in the export of arms with a share of 37% at the end of 2016-2020. Compared to the previous five-year plan, the United States has increased its arms exports by 15%.
Russia retains its second place, but Russian arms exports are declining.
At the end of 2016–2020, Russia's share in the international arms trade fell to 20% (in 2015–2019 it was 21%). Over the past five years, Russian arms exports have decreased by 22%, and their share in the global arms trade fell from 26% in 2011–2015 to 20% in 2016–2020.
The third place among the largest exporters of arms in 2016-2020 is occupied by France with a market share of 8,2%, the fourth - Germany (5,5%), the fifth - China (5,2%). And if the export of arms of the two European countries has been actively growing over the last five years - by 44% and 21%, respectively, then the Chinese one, on the contrary, has fallen - by 7,8%.
Whom does Russia sell weapons to?
At the end of 2015–2019, the main regions for the supply of Russian arms were the countries of Asia and Oceania, which accounted for 57% of all Russian arms exports. At the same time, the overwhelming number of supplies falls on two countries of the region: China and India (41% of the total volume of Russian exports).
In second place are the countries of the Middle East, which accounted for 19% of Russian exports of major weapons. At the same time, according to the results of 2015–2019, Russia increased the volume of supplies to this region by 30% compared to the previous five-year period. Egypt and Iraq became the main exporters of Russian weapons in the region, not Syria, as many believe.
Egypt accounted for 49% of all Russian supplies to this region, 29% accounted for Iraq. At the same time, from 2010 to 2019, Russia increased the supply of weapons to Egypt - by 191%, and to Iraq - by 212%.
Africa is in third place in terms of Russian arms supplies, accounting for 17% of all Russian supplies. At the same time, there is also a country that alone accumulates a huge part of Russian arms exports - this is Algeria (14% of the total volume of Russian exports).
The three main recipients of Russian weapons in 2015–2019 are India, China and Algeria.
Although at the end of 2015-2019 India continues to hold the first place in terms of arms exports from Russia (25% of total Russian exports), arms sales to this country have significantly decreased. At the end of 2015–2019, the decrease in the volume of supplies of Russian weapons to India amounted to 47% compared to 2010–2014.
The former Soviet republics also remain traditional buyers of Russian weapons.
At the same time, transactions with the countries of the former USSR are often carried out on preferential terms or within the framework of providing assistance. The largest recipient of Russian arms among all post-Soviet countries at the end of 2015–2019 was Kazakhstan, which accounted for 5% of all Russian arms exports (a fivefold increase).
This was largely due to the delivery to the country of five divisions of the S-300PS air defense systems and 16 two-seat multipurpose Su-30 fighters of the 4+ generation. Contracts for the supply of Su-30SM fighters to Kazakhstan will continue.
At the end of 2015–2019, the volume of Russian arms exports to the Republic of Belarus also increased significantly - three times compared to 2010–2014. Here, the growth was also due to the supply of air defense systems and aviation.
In particular, Minsk received S-300 complexes and modern Yak-130 combat training aircraft. In May 2019, 4 regular Yak-130s were handed over to the Belarusian side at the airfield in Lida.
In addition, Russia was the main supplier of weapons to the former Transcaucasian republics: Armenia and Azerbaijan. At the end of 2015-2019, Russia was the main exporter of arms and military equipment to Armenia and the second largest supplier of weapons to Azerbaijan.
What Russian weapons are in the greatest demand?
During the week, Dmitry Shugaev, head of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation (FSMTC), spoke about which samples of Russian weapons are in greatest demand among foreign customers. In an interview with the Russian edition of RBK, Shugaev stressed that at least 50% of Russian arms exports are accounted for by aircraft.
According to the head of the FSMTC, foreign customers, in addition to the entire line of aviation equipment, show the greatest interest in domestic air defense systems, including the S-400 air defense system and the Pantsir-C1 missile and cannon system, the Smerch MLRS, and anti-tank missile systems. Cornet "and other modern guided weapon systems.
Considering the current situation in the world and trends in the development and widespread use of unmanned aerial vehicles, the demand for Russian air defense systems will grow. At the same time, the era drones and the proliferation of military robotic technology are fueling the interest of the military around the world in electronic warfare.
Electronic warfare funds are one of the most promising areas for Russian exports.
According to Shugaev, the portfolio of orders of enterprises of the domestic defense industry is currently more than $ 52 billion.
FSMTC maintains relations with 100 countries of the world through military-technical cooperation, supplying weapons to more than 50 countries. About 400 states are currently showing interest in the Russian S-10 air defense systems alone, Shugaev emphasized.
Shugaev especially noted that many states not only want to buy Russian weapons, but are also interested in buying technologies.
Russia is working quite successfully in this direction today, having concluded many contracts for the licensed assembly of Russian weapons abroad. Successful projects in this regard are: the assembly of Su-30MKI fighters in India and the RPG-32 Barkas reusable hand-held multifunctional grenade launchers in Jordan.
Information