World's Top 5 arms exporters

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), an independent think tank, has recently released a report on the international arms transfers for the period 2005 to 2009. This study reveals which are the five largest countries in the world exporting conventional weapons.

The United-States of America remains the largest exporter of conventional weapons in the world, according to the latest study by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). The U.S account for 30% of global arms sales, or about $7 billion per year, for the period 2005-2009, SIPRI statement says. From 2005 to 2009, the U.S. sold one-third of its arm exports to South Korea (15%), Israel (13%) and the United Arab Emirates (11%). Pictured above, a U.S. Air Force C-17A.

The top U.S. military equipments included JDAM guided bombs and RGM-84L Harpoon-2 anti-ship missiles, delivered to South Korea, in 2008. U.S. President Barack Obama (L) and South Korea's President Lee Myung-bak. UPI Photo/Mike Theiler

Russia remains the second largest supplier, with 23% of the global arms exports, or about $4.5 billion per year, the SIPRI data indicates. Russia’s main clients are China (40%) and India (20%), which belong to the top five of the largest conventional weapons importers from 2005 to 2009, SIPRI says. Russian exports of fighter planes included 82 Sukhoi fighters for India and 24 MI-17 helicopters for China. Pictured above, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev holds a Kalashnikov gun.

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The SIPRI Top 100 arms-producing and military services companies in the world excluding China, 2011

The SIPRI Top 100 lists the world’s 100 largest arms-producing and military services companies (excluding Chinese companies), ranked by their arms sales in 2011. The list is based on the comprehensive SIPRI Arms Industry Database, which contains financial and employment data on the world’s major arms-producing and military services companies. 

The SIPRI Top 100

• The SIPRI Top 100 for 2011 is the 24th edition of the SIPRI Top 100—earlier versions are available here. For more on the coverage and methodology of the SIPRI Top 100 see the notes below and read the sources and methods.

• Arms and military services sales (‘arms sales’) are defined by SIPRI as sales of military goods and services to military customers, including sales for both domestic procurement and export.Military goods and services are those that are designed specifically for military purposes and include the technologies related to these goods and services. Military goods are military-specific equipment and do not include general-purpose goods, such as oil, electricity, office computers, uniforms and boots. Military services are also military-specific. They include technical services, such as information technology, maintenance, repair and overhaul, and operational support; services related to the operation of the armed forces, such as intelligence, training, logistics and facilities management; and armed security in conflict zones. They do not include the peacetime provision of purely civilian services—such as health care, cleaning, catering and transportation—but supply services to operationally deployed forces are included.