US arms export growth has been driven by countries seeking to replenish stocks of arms donated to Ukraine.
The US State Department said the sale of US military equipment to foreign governments in 2024 rose by 29 percent to $318.7 billion. .
US arms sales figures from the final year of the Biden administration were released on Friday, coming amid rising global instability and regional tensions.
Direct military sales by US companies rose to $200.8 billion in fiscal year 2024, up from $157.5 billion in 2023, while sales arranged through the US government rose to $117.9 billion in 2024, up from $80.9 billion in 2024. previous year.
The State Department said in a statement that arms sales and transfers are “important tools of significant U.S. foreign policy with potential long-term implications for regional and global security.”
Sales approved in 2024 include, but are not limited to, $23 billion in F-16 aircraft and aircraft upgrades to the Turkiye Army, $18.8 billion worth of F-15 fighter jets to Israel, and $2.5 billion in sales M1a2 Abrams to Romania.
The State Department said the United States takes a “holistic approach” to arms sales and “weighs their political, social, human rights, and civilian protections” among many factors — including the economy and the military — when determining “appropriate provision of military equipment” to allies and their partners.
However, US investigative journalism organization Propublica reported that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken ignored clear warnings about Israeli human rights violations amid the war on Gaza and continued to approve arms transfers to the country. In violation of US law.
More than 47,200 Palestinians were killed by the Israeli army in Gaza, and photographs record the devastation Like entire cities inside the enclave It was reduced to rubble using bombs, missiles, warplanes and other weapons provided by the United States.
Human rights groups, UN experts and even former US government officials have accused the Biden administration of funding Israel’s alleged genocide in Gaza.
In November 2024, Human Rights Watch released a detailed report outlining how Israel was involved in Deliberate effort To permanently prevent Palestinians from returning to large parts of Gaza.
US defense contractors are struggling to meet a surge in demand for weapons that have been hit by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Defense ministries globally are lining up to place orders to boost their stockpiles with US weapons, as the US seeks to replenish its stockpiles after sending arms and ammunition to Kyiv to support its war with Russia.
The increase is also expected to rise this year as orders approved in 2024 often enter the order backlog for US Arms, who are planning a surge in artillery rounds, national missile interceptors and armored vehicles.
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