US Arms Sales
The United States is the world's largest arms dealer, selling $238B per year in weapons to foreign governments. American bombs, missiles, jets, and tanks are used in conflicts across the globe — many of them against civilians.
$238B/yr
Annual Arms Sales
40%
Global Market Share
10+
Buyer Countries
$365B
Top 10 Buyer Total
“We sell weapons to both sides in a conflict, then send our troops to clean up the mess. That's not foreign policy — it's a business model.”
— Andrew Bacevich, retired US Army Colonel and historian
Top Buyers
Buyer Profiles
Saudi Arabia
Since 2009
$110B
Used in Yemen war, bombing civilians with US weapons.
Largest single buyer of US weapons. Saudi forces have used American-made bombs, jets, and missiles in the Yemen war, creating the world's worst humanitarian crisis. A Raytheon MK-82 bomb killed 40 children on a school bus in 2018. Despite this, arms sales continued under every administration.
Japan
Since 2009
$45B
F-35s and missile defense systems.
Purchasing F-35s and advanced missile defense as China tensions escalate. Japan is rearming at the fastest rate since WWII, with US encouragement and weapons.
Australia
Since 2009
$42B
AUKUS nuclear submarine deal.
The AUKUS deal includes nuclear-powered submarines worth $368B over 30 years — the largest defense procurement in Australian history, and a massive windfall for US contractors.
UAE
Since 2009
$38B
Major buyer. Used in Yemen and Libya.
Used US weapons in Yemen and Libya. The UAE has built a regional military empire using American hardware, including deploying F-16s and Apache helicopters in conflicts across the Middle East and Africa.
South Korea
Since 2009
$32B
Missile defense and fighter jets.
Major buyer of missile defense systems and fighter jets. South Korea hosts 28,500 US troops and serves as a key market for THAAD and F-35 aircraft.
Israel
Since 2009
$27B
Plus $3.8B/yr in free military aid on top.
Receives $3.8B/yr in free US military aid on top of arms purchases. American weapons are used in operations in Gaza and the West Bank. Israel is also a major re-exporter of modified US military technology.
Taiwan
Since 2009
$23B
Rapidly increasing amid China tensions.
Arms sales rapidly increasing amid China tensions. Every sale triggers diplomatic protests from Beijing. Taiwan is stockpiling Javelin missiles and F-16V fighters.
Poland
Since 2009
$18B
Major increase since 2022.
Spending surged after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Poland is now buying Abrams tanks, HIMARS, Apache helicopters, and F-35s in the largest European arms buildup since the Cold War.
Qatar
Since 2009
$16B
F-15 fighter jets and Apache helicopters.
Bought $12B in F-15 fighter jets and Apache helicopters. Qatar hosts Al Udeid Air Base, the largest US military facility in the Middle East.
UK
Since 2009
$14B
Longstanding "special relationship."
Longstanding "special relationship" includes deep weapons integration. The UK is a partner on the F-35 program and buys extensively from US defense firms.
How Arms Sales Perpetuate Conflict
The arms trade creates a self-reinforcing cycle. The US sells weapons to Country A. Country A's neighbors feel threatened and buy weapons too. Regional arms races escalate tensions. Conflicts erupt. The US sells more weapons — and sometimes intervenes militarily, using the very instability it helped create as justification.
The Yemen case study: The US sold Saudi Arabia $110B in weapons. Saudi Arabia used those weapons to bomb Yemen, creating the world's worst humanitarian crisis — 377,000+ dead, 23 million people in need of aid. The US then provided humanitarian aid to Yemen. American taxpayers funded both the bombs and the bandages.
The revolving door: The same defense contractors who lobby for arms sales also employ former Pentagon officials who approved those sales. Lloyd Austin went from Raytheon's board to Secretary of Defense. The line between government policy and corporate profit is invisible.
What America Sells
Fighter Jets
F-35 ($80M each), F-16, F/A-18, F-15EX
Deployed in conflicts across the Middle East
Missiles & Bombs
Javelin ($178K), Patriot ($4M each), JDAM, Hellfire
Raytheon & Lockheed's bread and butter
Attack Helicopters
Apache ($35M), Black Hawk ($22M)
Used in Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Libya
Tanks & Vehicles
Abrams ($10M), Stryker ($5M), MRAP
Many end up abandoned or captured
Naval Vessels
Littoral combat ships, frigates, submarines
AUKUS submarine deal: $368B
Air Defense
THAAD, Patriot batteries, Iron Dome components
Driving a global air defense arms race
💡 Did You Know?
- • The US controls 40% of the global arms market — more than Russia, China, France, and Germany combined.
- • American weapons have been found on both sides of multiple conflicts, including Libya and Syria.
- • The State Department approved $80.9B in arms sales in 2023 alone — a 56% increase from the prior year.
- • US-made weapons have been documented in at least 12 countries experiencing active conflict or humanitarian crisis.