Global Arms Trade Trends and Statistics

CHAPTER 32: THE GLOBAL ARMS TRADE CHAPTER 32: THE GLOBAL ARMS TRADE Arms Trade Treaty (2013): defines arms trade activities as comprising the export, import, transit, trans-shipment and brokering of weapons. Arms Trade Treaty (2013): identifies the following categories of weapons: battle tanks, armoured combat vehicles, large- calibre artillery systems, combat aircraft, attack helicopters, warships, missiles and missile launchers, and small arms & light weapons (SALWs). Security Studies: An Introduction. 4th Edition. Paul D. Williams and Matt McDonald. Routledge 2023. Paperback ISBN - 9781032162737 Information Classification: General

KEY TRENDS IN THE GLOBAL ARMS TRADE KEY TRENDS IN THE GLOBAL ARMS TRADE 1. Increasing technological sophistication of weapons systems. 2. Renewed emphasis on maritime power. 3. Continued salience of small arms and light weapons. Security Studies: An Introduction. 4th Edition. Paul D. Williams and Matt McDonald. Routledge 2023. Paperback ISBN - 9781032162737 Information Classification: General

WHOS BUYING, WHOS SELLING? WHOS BUYING, WHO S SELLING? In 2020, global military spending was almost US$2 trillion. World s leading military spenders: USA $766 billion (39% global total), China $245 billion. Then India, UK, Russia, France, Germany (5 of the top 6 are the UN Security Council s permanent members). World s leading military exporters: USA $97 billion, Russia $64 billion. Then France, Germany, China and the UK (5 of the top 6 are the UN Security Council s permanent members). World s leading military importers: India $33 billion, Saudi Arabia $26 billion. Then China, Australia and Egypt. Security Studies: An Introduction. 4th Edition. Paul D. Williams and Matt McDonald. Routledge 2023. Paperback ISBN - 9781032162737 Information Classification: General

THE TREND IN THE TREND IN INTERNATIONAL INTERNATIONAL TRANSFERS OF TRANSFERS OF MAJOR ARMS, MAJOR ARMS, 1982 1982 2021 2021 Note: The bar graph shows the average annual volume of arms transfers for 5-year periods and the line graph shows the annual totals. The SIPRI trend-indicator value (TIV) is a measure of the volume of international transfers of major arms. The method used for the SIPRI TIV is described on the Arms Transfers Database web page. Source: SIPRI Arms Transfers Database, Mar. 2022. Security Studies: An Introduction. 4th Edition. Paul D. Williams and Matt McDonald. Routledge 2023. Paperback ISBN - 9781032162737 Information Classification: General

WORLD MILITARY EXPENDITURE, BY REGION, 1988 WORLD MILITARY EXPENDITURE, BY REGION, 1988- -2021 SOURCE: HTTPS://MILEX.SIPRI.ORG/SIPRI 2021 2500.0 2000.0 (constant 2020 US$ billion) Military expenditure 1500.0 1000.0 500.0 0.0 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Africa Americas Asia and Oceania Europe Middle East Security Studies: An Introduction. 4th Edition. Paul D. Williams and Matt McDonald. Routledge 2023. Paperback ISBN - 9781032162737 Information Classification: General

GLOBAL SHARE OF EXPORTS AND IMPORTS OF MAJOR ARMS BY THE 10 LARG GLOBAL SHARE OF EXPORTS AND IMPORTS OF MAJOR ARMS BY THE 10 LARGEST EXPORTERS (L) AND IMPORTERS (R), 2017 IMPORTERS (R), 2017 21 SOURCE: SIPRI ARMS TRANSFERS DATABASE, MAR. 2022. EST EXPORTERS (L) AND 21 Security Studies: An Introduction. 4th Edition. Paul D. Williams and Matt McDonald. Routledge 2023. Paperback ISBN - 9781032162737 Information Classification: General

WHAT DRIVES THE GLOBAL ARMS TRADE? WHAT DRIVES THE GLOBAL ARMS TRADE? Persistence of interstate tensions (e.g., China s rise, Russia s revival). Rapid technological change/development. Economic growth. The need for security. The desire for prestige. Corruption. Security Studies: An Introduction. 4th Edition. Paul D. Williams and Matt McDonald. Routledge 2023. Paperback ISBN - 9781032162737 Information Classification: General

ARMS RACES AND THE ARMS DYNAMIC ARMS RACES AND THE ARMS DYNAMIC The term arms race is used very loosely in media to depict any form of competitive and interactive arms acquisition between states. Scholars use more precise definitions e.g., rapid acquisition by two or more parties, conscious of their mutual antagonism, who structure their forces with a focus on the behaviour of the other party. e.g., simultaneous abnormal rates of growth in the military outlays of two or more nations, where abnormally large growth rates in defense spending are above 10% or even as high as 20% to 25%, compared to the historical average of 4% to 5% annual growth (in real dollars). The concept of the arms dynamic defines a spectrum pressures that make actors (usually states) both acquire armed forces and change the quantity and quality of the armed forces that they already possess (Buzan & Herring 1998). Arms racing, an expression of intensified political rivalry, is at one end of the spectrum. At the other end is arms acquisitions to maintain current capabilities. Between the two poles lies a grey area of arms competition arms acquisitions geared to status-quo oriented rivalries. Security Studies: An Introduction. 4th Edition. Paul D. Williams and Matt McDonald. Routledge 2023. Paperback ISBN - 9781032162737 Information Classification: General

THE ARMS TRADE AND GLOBAL INSECURITY THE ARMS TRADE AND GLOBAL INSECURITY More weapons harm more people: 600,000 people were killed by small arms in 2018 alone. More weapons make trust more difficult: intensify security dilemmas? Arms flows can alter local and regional power balances. Arms flows contribute to state fragility. Corruption can undermine the rule of law, civil-military relations, and professional procurement. Arms sales have opportunity costs: money and expertise that could be spent on health, education, environment. Security Studies: An Introduction. 4th Edition. Paul D. Williams and Matt McDonald. Routledge 2023. Paperback ISBN - 9781032162737 Information Classification: General

MAJOR INTERNATIONAL ARMS CONTROL MAJOR INTERNATIONAL ARMS CONTROL INITIATIVES INITIATIVES 1980 Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons 1998 missile Technology Control Regime 1997 Ottawa Convention (banned anti-personnel landmines) 2001 UN Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons 2013 Arms Trade Treaty Security Studies: An Introduction. 4th Edition. Paul D. Williams and Matt McDonald. Routledge 2023. Paperback ISBN - 9781032162737 Information Classification: General

ESSAY / EXAM QUESTIONS ESSAY / EXAM QUESTIONS 1. 2. 3. What are the central characteristics of today s global arms trade? What are the most important drivers of the global trade in arms? Give some major examples of the ways arms transfers impact human rights in key countries and regions. Who are the biggest arms-supplying states, by value of arms transferred and types of equipment supplied? Which countries dominate particular regions? What are the biggest arms importing countries and regions? Why? How have the dynamics of the global arms trade changed since the end of the Cold War? How do arms transfers support the defence industrial base of key supplying countries? What have been the key international efforts to control the global arms trade, and how successful have they been? What are the most realistic objectives for international arms control initiatives? How might the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons be limited? 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Security Studies: An Introduction. 4th Edition. Paul D. Williams and Matt McDonald. Routledge 2023. Paperback ISBN - 9781032162737 Information Classification: General

WEBSITES AND AUDIO WEBSITES AND AUDIO- -VISUAL RESOURCES VISUAL RESOURCES UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), https://www.un.org/disarmament/ Films about the arms trade Lord of War (2005): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXgyoER0aRc Flying the Flag, Arming the World (2010): https://vimeo.com/16495727 War Dogs (2016): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rwh9c_E3dJk Shadow World (2017): https://www.pbs.org/independentlens/documentaries/sh adow-world/ UN Register of Conventional Arms, www.unroca.org Forum on the Arms Trade: http://www.forumarmstrade.org Security Assistance Monitor: http://securityassistance.org/ Stockholm International Peace Research Institute Arms Transfer Data Base: https://www.sipri.org/databases Small Arms Survey: http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/ Human Rights Watch Arms Division: https://www.hrw.org/topic/arms Norwegian Initiative on Small Arms Transfers (NISAT): http://nisat.prio.org/ World Peace Foundation, A Compendium of Arms Trade Corruption, https://sites.tufts.edu/corruptarmsdeals/ World Peace Foundation, Who arms War? https://whoarmswar.tufts.edu/ Operation Overmatch (a video game intended to influence how the US military purchases weapons): https://www.operationovermatch.com Discussion: https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2 017/10/operation-overmatch/544062/?utm_source=twb Security Studies: An Introduction. 4th Edition. Paul D. Williams and Matt McDonald. Routledge 2023. Paperback ISBN - 9781032162737 Information Classification: General