Sales of the main armaments increased by 2.5% in 2017
Sales of the top one hundred arms companies rose by 2.5% year-on-year in 2017 to 398.2 billion dollars (350,553 million euros), according to a report released today by the Stockholm International Studies Institute for Peace (SIPRI).
The study highlights that this figure is 44% more than in 2002 - when SIPRI began to develop its "top 100", which does not include Chinese companies due to lack of reliable data - and that is the third consecutive year with an increase in the sales
The United States maintains its global hegemony with 42 companies in the classification, which accounted for 57% of total sales and increased its operations by 2% year-on-year, benefiting from the current demand for weapons from the US Department of Defense.
Five of the top ten companies in the industry are from that country, including the top three on the list: Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Raytheon.
Russia contributes ten companies, which increased their sales by 8.5% last year and accounted for 9.5% of the world total, which makes this country unseat the UK from the second position and place a company for the first time. the "top 10", Almaz-Antey, tenth.
"Russian companies have experienced significant growth in their arms sales since 2011. That is in line with the increase in Russia's spending to modernize its armed forces," the study notes.
The combined sales of the 24 Western European firms included in the classification increased by 3.8% year-on-year and now represent almost 24% of the world total, with the United Kingdom as the main producer in the region, from which the fourth company in the ranking comes , BAE Systems.
Navantia is the only Spanish company included in the "top 100", ranked 87, with sales of 910 million (801 million euros), 23% more than the previous year.
Among the emerging producers, the 24% rise in the joint sales of Turkish companies stands out, reflecting "Turkey's ambitions to develop its own arms industry to meet its growing demand for weapons and to be less dependent on foreign supplies. "
The only South American firm is Brazil's Embraer, at number 84, with 950 million (836 million euros), 10% less.
Based on data available from several companies that are part of the Chinese arms industry, controlled mainly by the State, SIPRI believes that three of them could enter the top ten: AVIC, NORINCO and CETC.
"Based on the limited information available and taking into account arms exports and the general growth of military spending in China, at least seven other firms would probably be in the top 100 if the sales data were disseminated," the report said.
