Growth in U.S. arms exports was driven by countries seeking to replenish weapons stocks donated to Ukraine.
Sales of U.S. military equipment to foreign governments in 2024 jumped 29% to a record $31.8 billion, according to the U.S. Department of State. .
U.S. arms sales figures from the final year of the Biden administration were released Friday, amid heightened global instability and regional tensions.
Direct military sales by U.S. companies rose to $157.5 billion in fiscal year 2024 from $157.5 billion in 2023 to 200.8 billion, while sales arranged through the U.S. government rose to $89.0 billion in 2024 from the previous year. It rose to $117.9 billion, surpassing the US dollar.
The State Department said in a statement that arms sales and transfers are considered “important U.S. foreign policy tools with potential long-term implications for regional and global security.”
The approved sales for 2024 include F-16 jet and aircraft upgrades to Turkiye’s military, $18.8 billion worth of F-15 fighter jets, $2.5 billion to Israel, and M1A2 Abrams tanks. It was not limited to the $2.5 billion sale to Rome.
The State Department says the United States takes a “holistic approach” to arms sales and considers “the appropriateness of military equipment, among many factors, including political, social, human rights, civilian protection, economic, and military.” We decided to offer our allies and partners.
However, US investigative journalism organization ProPublica reports that US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has ignored explicit warnings about Israel’s human rights violations in its war with Gaza and authorized arms transfers to the country in violation of US law. It is reported that it continues to do so.
More than 47,200 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza, and images show that entire cities within the enclave have been reduced to rubble using bombs, missiles, fighter jets, and other US-supplied weapons. It records the devastation.
Human rights groups, UN experts, and even US government officials have accused the Biden administration of knowingly funding Israel’s alleged genocide in Gaza.
In November 2024, Human Rights Watch published a detailed report outlining how Israel has made deliberate efforts to permanently prevent Palestinians from returning to large parts of Gaza. did.
US defense contractors are straining to meet the surge in demand for weapons that mushroomed as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
US submits order to increase their inventory with US weapons while the US seeks to replenish its own stockpiles after arms and munitions were sent to Kiev in support of war with Russia Ministries of defense around the world are lining up to do so.
It is also expected this year, as orders approved in 2024 are likely to arrive in the order backlog of US weapons manufacturers.