Revenues from gross sales of weapons and army providers by the 100 largest world arms-producing corporations reached a report $679bn in 2024, in line with new knowledge launched by the Stockholm Worldwide Peace Analysis Institute (SIPRI).
The Gaza and Ukraine wars, in addition to world and regional geopolitical tensions and ever-higher army expenditures, elevated revenues generated by the businesses from gross sales of army items and providers to clients home and overseas by 5.9 % in comparison with the 12 months earlier than, the organisation mentioned in a report revealed on Monday.
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The majority of the worldwide rise was attributed to corporations based mostly in Europe and america, however there have been year-on-year will increase in all areas aside from Asia and Oceania, the place points inside the Chinese language arms trade drove down the regional whole.
Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Basic Dynamics led the pack in the US, the place the mixed arms revenues of arms corporations within the prime 100 grew by 3.8 % in 2024 to succeed in $334bn, with 30 out of the 39 US corporations within the rating rising their revenues.
Nevertheless, SIPRI mentioned widespread delays and price range overruns proceed to plague key initiatives such because the F-35 fighter jet, the Columbia and Virginia-class submarines, and the Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX appeared within the checklist of prime world army producers for the primary time, after its arms revenues greater than doubled in contrast with 2023 to succeed in $1.8bn.
Excluding Russia, there have been 26 arms corporations within the prime 100 based mostly in Europe, and 23 of them recorded will increase in revenues from gross sales of weapons and gear. Their mixture arms revenues grew by 13 % to $151bn.
After boosting revenues by 193 % to succeed in $3.6bn via making artillery shells for Ukraine, Czech firm Czechoslovak Group recorded the sharpest proportion improve in arms revenues of any prime 100 firm in 2024.
As Ukraine faces a relentless Russian offensive in its japanese areas, the nation’s JSC Ukrainian Protection Business elevated its arms revenues by 41 % to $3bn.
European arms corporations have been investing in new manufacturing capability to battle off Russia, the SIPRI report mentioned, but it surely cautioned that sourcing supplies – significantly within the case of dependence on vital minerals – might pose a “rising problem” as China also tightens export controls.
Rostec and United Shipbuilding Company are the one two Russian arms corporations within the rating, and so they additionally elevated their mixed arms revenues by 23 % to $31.2bn regardless of being hit by Western-led sanctions over the Ukraine conflict.
Final 12 months, weapons makers in Asia and Oceania nonetheless registered $130bn in revenues after a 1.2 % decline in comparison with 2023.
The regional drop was as a result of a mixed 10 % decline in arms revenues among the many eight Chinese language arms corporations within the rating, most prominently the 31 % fall within the arms revenues of NORINCO, China’s main producer of land methods.
“A number of corruption allegations in Chinese language arms procurement led to main arms contracts being postponed or cancelled in 2024,” mentioned Nan Tian, Director of the SIPRI Army Expenditure and Arms Manufacturing Programme. “This deepens uncertainty across the standing of China’s army modernisation efforts and when new capabilities will materialise.”
However Japanese and South Korean arms producers’ gross sales surged on the again of robust demand from European in addition to home clients amid simmering tensions over Taiwan and North Korea.
5 Japanese corporations within the rating elevated their mixed arms revenues by 40 % to $13.3bn, whereas 4 South Korean producers noticed a 31 % soar to $14.1bn in income. South Korea’s largest arms firm, Hanwha Group, recorded a 42 % surge in 2024, with greater than half coming from arms exports.
Israel reaps income of Gaza genocide
For the primary time, 9 of the highest 100 arms corporations have been based mostly within the Center East, in line with SIPRI. The 9 corporations racked up a mixed $31bn in income in 2024, displaying a regional improve of 14 %.
Because the United Arab Emirates continues to face worldwide allegations of arming the devastating war in Sudan, the institute famous its regional determine excludes Emirati-based EDGE Group as a result of a scarcity of income knowledge for 2023. The UAE rejects the accusations.
The three Israeli arms corporations within the rating elevated their mixed arms revenues by 16 % to $16.2bn amid the ongoing genocidal war on Gaza, which has killed almost 70,000 Palestinians and destroyed many of the besieged enclave.
Elbit Techniques pocketed $6.28bn in income, adopted by Israel Aerospace Industries with $5.19bn and Rafael Superior Protection Techniques with $4.7bn.
SIPRI mentioned there was a world surge in curiosity in Israeli unmanned aerial automobiles and counter-drone methods. Rafael’s surge was tied to Iran, as demand for the corporate’s air defence methods rose to “unprecedented ranges” after Iran’s large-scale retaliatory strikes against Israel in April and October 2024 that used ballistic missiles and drones.
5 Turkish corporations have been within the prime 100 – additionally a report. Their mixed arms revenues amounted to $10.1bn, displaying an 11 % improve.
Baykar, which makes, amongst different issues, superior drones most not too long ago bought to Ukraine, noticed 95 % of its $1.9bn in arms income in 2024 come from exports to different international locations.
Army corporations from the UK, France, Germany, Italy, India, Taiwan, Norway, Canada, Spain, Poland and Indonesia have been within the rating as nicely.
