Funding Of Wars And Rumors Of Wars

US Military Exports Skyrocketing as Washington Continues to Fuel Global Conflicts

Sputnik

The US' arms exports have risen dramatically since 2022 and may top $100 billion by the year's end, according to the Pentagon.

In fiscal year (FY) 2022, sales through the US government's Foreign Military Sales (FMS) system jumped to $49.7 billion from $34.8 billion in FY2021; in FY2023, this number rose again to around $66.2 billion. 

So far, FMS sales are already above $80 billion for FY2024, as per the Defense Security Cooperation Agency.

Still, the total value of transferred weapons, services and security cooperation activities conducted under the Foreign Military Sales system in FY2023 was $80.9 billion, representing a 55.9% increase from a total of $51.9 billion in FY2022.

In 2024, the US State Department unveiled government-to-government FMS sales for FY2023, which required congressional notification:

Poland:

AH-64E Apache Helicopters - $12 billion;

High mobility artillery rocket systems (HIMARS) - $10 billion;

Integrated air and missile defense (IAMD) battle command systems (IBCS) - $4 billion;

M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks - $3.75 billion.

Germany:

CH-47F Chinook helicopters - $8.5 billion;

AIM-120C-8 advanced medium-range air-to-air missiles (AMRAAM) - $2.9 billion. 

Norway:

Defense articles and services related to the MH-60R multi-mission helicopters - $1 billion.

Czech Republic:

F-35 aircraft and munitions - $5.62 billion.

Bulgaria:

Stryker vehicles - $1.5 billion.

Australia:

C-130J-30 aircraft - $6.35 billion.

Canada:

P-8A aircraft - $5.9 billion.

South Korea:

F-35 aircraft - $5.06 billion;

CH-47F Chinook helicopters - $1.5 billion.

Japan:

E-2D advanced Hawkeye (AHE) airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft - $1.381 billion.

Kuwait:

National advanced surface-to-air missile system (NASAMS) medium range air defense systems (MRADS) - $3 billion;

Follow-up technical support - $1.8 billion.

Qatar:

Fixed site-low, slow, small unmanned aircraft system integrated defeat system (FS-LIDS) - $1 billion.

In addition to that, direct commercial sales (DCS) between foreign nations and US defense contractors jumped from $153.6 billion in FY2022 to $157.5 billion for FY2023. These sales included unspecified military hardware, services and technical data.

The US State Department provided a glimpse on what major DCS Congressional Notifications included in FY2023:

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