Long-term stability in the arms export market In 2010, at first glance, invisible regroupings took place. The cohort of the leading countries of the USA, Russia, Germany, France, like a hurricane, burst Israel. According to the Ministry of Defense of this state, which released information on the export of weapons in the past year, Israel entered the four largest exporters, selling military products for $ 7, 2 billion. The best characteristics are only in the United States, Russia and Germany. However, most likely in the coming years, the leading four will endure other significant metamorphoses - China is increasing its active presence in the arms market every year.
In 2010, Israel's defense industry companies were able to sell their products worth $ 9.6 billion. According to the Ministry of Defense of the state, weapons and military equipment for $ 2.4 billion were ordered by the Israeli army, and orders for $ 7, 2 billion were received from foreign customers. … The past year, however, like the past 6 years, has become highly profitable in terms of the size of the export military contracts for Israel, which has a firm place in the international arms market. More than 80% of various military products manufactured in Israel are exported annually.
The main types of Israeli military products supplied to foreign customers are unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), weapon systems, including remotely controlled modules, detectors, radars, and a number of aircraft conversion systems. Aircraft also take an insignificant share in military exports, namely, functional IAI Kfir fighters. According to the Stockholm Peace Research University (SIPRI), Israeli radars and detectors, various types of missiles and all kinds of aviation technology are in great demand on the world market today.
In the next few years, Israel plans to increase the range of weapons that are exported. At the end of 2010, the Ministry of Defense of the state decided to start exporting Merkava Mark IV main battle tanks, Merkava ARV Nemmera armored recovery vehicles and Merkava IFV Namer armored personnel carriers. In addition, it is also planned to export the Arrow and Iron Dome anti-missile defense systems.
According to the latest report submitted by SIPRI, the size of Israel's military exports for the period of 2010 amounted to $ 472 million in 1990 prices. At the same time, the size of Israeli military supplies abroad has practically halved compared to 2009 - by $ 335 million. associated with the increasing volatility in the Middle East, as well as the residual impact on the world economy of the greatest global financial and economic collapse.
In 2010, it was announced the completion of negotiations between Russia and Israel on the conclusion of a contract for the supply of devices for assembling drones worth $ 300 million. In addition, in 2010 Israel delivered three new IAI Kfir fighters to Colombia. The average cost of one such aircraft is about $ 5-5.5 million, which means the total size of this export delivery amounted to $ 15-16.5 million. In addition, Israel has entered into a second series of agreements with Russia, India, France and the United States for the supply of various drones, radars, sensors, missiles and services to improve armored vehicles.
Earlier, not many Israeli media outlets wrote, citing defense industry officials, that the size of military exports will decrease in the next couple of years. This will be justified by the fact that Israel's relations with Turkey, one of its main clients, began to deteriorate, and the states of Europe, in the criteria of lack of municipal budgets, began to reduce military spending. In the future, the main sales will be provided only by India and the states of North America, the most important customers of Israel's military products.
The main military exporter in 2010, as usual, was the United States, which sold weapons and various military equipment for $ 31.6 billion. In comparison with 2009, this figure decreased by $ 6.5 billion. Russia took the second place in terms of exports with $ 10 billion. A year ago, the state put $ 8.8 billion beyond the limit of military production. Germany, considered the third largest exporter, has not yet released real official data for 2010, but, according to the data of the state's Ministry of Commerce, in 2009, military supplies for the limit was 5.8 billion euros ($ 8, 7 billion with an average annual euro exchange rate of $ 1.5).
According to SIPRI, over the past 5 years, the top five military exporters have looked like this: the United States, the Russian Federation, Germany, France, and England. The latter two countries also have not yet released official information about their own military supplies. Still, it is interesting that, according to data provided by the French Ministry of Defense, the state's army exports in 2009 amounted to 8, 16 billion euros. England in the same year sold weapons for 7.2 billion pounds ($ 11 billion).
The United States is the world's largest exporter of all kinds of military products. According to Stockholm Peace Research University, a separate part of this state in the world arms market in 2009 amounted to 30%. According to this indicator, Russia took 2nd place with 24%, Germany - 3rd with 11%, France - 4th with 8%, and England - 5th with 4%.
Thus, the top five of the last two years looked like this: USA, France, England, Russian Federation, Germany. Israel, with its $ 6.9 billion, would have got the 6th place, and considering the unimportant growth of the state's military sales, it is hard to believe that it could have taken the 4th place in 2010. In SIPRI, the arrangement of exporters in 2009 was changed: the USA ($ 6.7 billion in 1990 prices), the Russian Federation ($ 5.6 billion), Germany ($ 2.4 billion), France ($ 1.9 billion).), England ($ 1.02 billion). Israel ranked 8th behind Spain ($ 998 million) and China ($ 1 billion). However, in the future, the positions of states may turn out to be completely different.
Given the rapid growth of the military-industrial industry in China and Israel's attempts to enter the international arms export market with new proposals, it is likely that they will make significant adjustments in the balance of power. It is very possible that the supremacy of the United States and Russia, in the coming years, may end in the arms trade as well, new players will fill it up!
