Set to topple China as world’s largest importer.

The world’s most credible monitor of the annual $30 billion international arms trade — the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) — reveals in its recently released report for 2009 that India is the world’s second-biggest arms buyer over the five-year period from 2005-2009, importing 7 per cent of the world’s arms exports. The top spot went to China, with 9 per cent of the world’s total arms imports.

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But, India seems likely to top next year’s five-year rolling average, as China is increasingly becoming more self sufficient. The SIPRI report clearly points to China’s decreasing dependence on weapons imports. For the five-year period under review, China’s annual arms imports declined from $3.5 billion (2005), $3.8 billion (2006), $1.5 billion (2007) and $1.5 billion (2008) to a mere $0.6 billion in 2009.

The Sipri report says, “With the exception of a handful of helicopters from France and Russia, no major conventional weapons were delivered to China in 2009, although transfers (including via licensed production) of engines for aircraft, ships and armoured vehicles from Russia, Germany, Ukraine, France and the UK continue.”

In contrast, India continues to import rather than building its defence equipment. From 2005-2009, India’s annual arms imports doubled: $1.04 billion (2005); $1.25 billion (2006); $2.2 billion (2007); $1.8 billion (2008) and $2.1 billion (2009).

India’s major capital imports include 82 Sukhoi-30MKI fighters and T-90 tanks from Russia, and an A-50/Phalcon Airborne Early Warning (AEW) system integrated by Israel.

The United States, currently India’s sixth-biggest arms supplier, seems likely to leapfrog to second position once New Delhi starts paying for a series of recent and ongoing acquisitions. The period under review does not reflect India’s purchase of C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft for $1.1 billion; or the $2 billion acquisition of P8I long-range maritime patrol aircraft.

India has also submitted procurement requests to the US for ten C-17 Globemaster airlifters, worth an estimated $2.4 billion; and for 145 M777 ultralight howitzers worth about $647 million. Initial payments for all this equipment could start this year.
 

The Sipri report also highlights how US military aid has sharply boosted Pakistan’s buying power in the international arms bazaar. Islamabad’s annual purchases grew dramatically from $0.33 billion in 2005; k$0.26 billion in 2006; $0.6 billion in 2007; $0.9 billion in 2008; to $1.15 billion in 2009.
 

Pakistan’s recent purchases include two F-22 Jiangwei frigates and the first of up to 300 JF-17 Thunder fighters from China.

Amongst arms exporters, the US dominated 2005-09, accounting for 30 per cent of international weapons sales. Russia was next with 23 per cent of the global market, followed by Germany (11 per cent); France (8 per cent); and the UK (4 per cent). The big gainer in this group was Germany, which doubled its share, compared to the preceding five-year period, i.e. 2000-2004. UK arms sales, in contrast, declined by 13 per cent in the same period.

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