Director of the Center for Analysis of World Arms Trade (CAWAT) Igor Korotchenko has published an analysis on reputable weapons, military and defense websites such as Defense Mirror and Military Africa, raising many questions. about the reliability of SIPRI’s report.
Director of the Center for Analysis of World Arms Trade (CAWAT) Igor Korotchenko. Photo: Defense Mirror
SIPRI report
In the global arms market, data accuracy is paramount to understanding development trends and national security implications. By reporting a significant decrease in Russian arms exports, SIPRI is facing a lot of criticism and is accused of drawing conclusions based on incomplete and unverified data. .
According to SIPRI, France’s arms exports in the period 2019-2023 increased by 47% compared to the period 2014-2018. France’s main customers are countries in Asia and Oceania (42%) and countries in the Middle East (34%). France’s largest arms importer is India, accounting for nearly 30% of total export value. France achieved record sales amid a surge in military spending not seen since the end of the Cold War. SIPRI also determined that the above results were largely due to the export of Rafale fighter aircraft, developed by French defense contractor Dassault Aviation, to India, Qatar and Egypt.
France achieved record sales largely due to exports of Rafale fighter jets to India, Qatar and Egypt. Illustration photo: Middle East Transparent
Meanwhile, SIPRI data also shows that Russia’s arms exports in the period 2019 – 2023 have decreased by more than half, 53%, compared to the period 2014 – 2018. In 2019, Russia exported weapons to 31 countries, but by 2023, the number of countries receiving Moscow’s weapons has decreased to 12. India and China, the two countries that maintain oil and gas trade with Russia, are still Russia’s most important customers. .
SIPRI’s rankings are evaluated based on arms import and export data of countries around the world, based on commercial contracts of corporations and arms contractors.
The decline in Russian arms exports, according to British defense intelligence, may be due to a number of factors including Russia’s prioritization of weapons and equipment for military operations in Ukraine after losses. here and customer demand decreased due to the risk of facing sanctions related to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Impact of the embargo
According to Director of the Center for Analysis of World Arms Trade (CAWAT) Igor Korotchenko, at the beginning of the special military operation in Ukraine, official Russian agencies stopped publishing data on export contracts. weapons, including providing this information to relevant United Nations agencies. Specifically, Rosoboronexport, Russia’s leading arms corporation, has significantly reduced the provision of procurement data from all countries. This move is to meet the security needs of countries importing Russian weapons due to concerns about facing Western sanctions. However, that unintentionally affects the transparency of Russia’s arms export data.