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. The arms industry spends $130M/yr lobbying Congress to ensure the sales never stop.
🧠 Key Insights
- • The US controls 40% of the global arms market — more than Russia, China, France, and Germany combined. State Department approved $80.9B in sales in 2023 alone, a 56% increase.
- • American weapons have been found on both sides of multiple conflicts — in Libya, Syria, and Yemen. The Taliban captured $7.1B in US equipment when Afghanistan fell, including Black Hawk helicopters.
- • A Raytheon MK-82 bomb killed 40 children on a school bus in Yemen (2018) — arms sales to Saudi Arabia continued. The US sells weapons to human rights abusers with minimal consequences.
- • The AUKUS submarine deal is worth $368 billion — the largest arms deal in history. Every regional arms race enriches American defense contractors while destabilizing the regions involved.
- • The US has not ratified the Arms Trade Treaty — joining Russia and China in refusing to be bound by rules governing weapons exports. The world's largest arms dealer refuses oversight.
$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
Arms Sales by Decade
1950s
$35B
Cold War begins. NATO allies rearming. Military Assistance Program sends weapons to 60+ countries.
1960s
$50B
Vietnam era. Massive arms to South Vietnam, Taiwan, South Korea. Alliance-building through weapons.
1970s
$85B
Nixon Doctrine — arm allies instead of deploying troops. Iran under the Shah becomes huge buyer. Saudi sales begin.
1980s
$120B
Reagan era. Arms to Mujahideen ($3B+). Iran-Contra scandal. Massive sales to Saudi Arabia, Israel, Egypt.
1990s
$150B
Post-Cold War "fire sale." Former Soviet client states switch to US equipment. Gulf War showcases American weapons.
2000s
$200B
War on Terror drives sales. Iraq and Afghanistan create new markets. "Coalition" allies receive equipment.
2010s
$350B
Obama-era record sales. $110B Saudi deal (2010). Asia pivot drives sales to Japan, Australia, South Korea.
2020s (est)
$400B+
Ukraine war, AUKUS, China tensions. Record peacetime sales. $80.9B approved in 2023 alone.
Top Arms Manufacturers
Lockheed Martin
$65.4BProducts: F-35, F-22, THAAD, Javelin, Sikorsky, satellites
Export share: ~25% — World's largest defense firm. F-35 sold to 18+ countries. Employs 122,000.
RTX (Raytheon)
$68.9BProducts: Patriot missiles, Tomahawk, Stinger, engines
Export share: ~30% — Patriot deployed in 18 countries. Stinger missiles went from Afghan mujahideen to Ukrainian soldiers.
Boeing
$66.5BProducts: F-15EX, F/A-18, Apache, P-8, KC-46, bombs
Export share: ~20% — Also sells commercial jets that keep losing doors. F-15 sold to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, South Korea, Israel.
Northrop Grumman
$39.3BProducts: B-21, Global Hawk, cyber systems, missiles
Export share: ~15% — 83% of revenue from government. Global Hawk drones operated worldwide.
General Dynamics
$42.3BProducts: Abrams tanks, Stryker, submarines, munitions
Export share: ~18% — Abrams tanks sold to Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Egypt, Australia, Poland.
L3Harris
$18.4BProducts: Communications, ISR, electronic warfare
Export share: ~25% — Supplies surveillance and communications tech to 100+ countries.
BAE Systems (US)
$26.4BProducts: Bradley vehicles, electronic warfare, munitions
Export share: ~30% — British-owned but major US defense contractor. Sells to 40+ countries.
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.
🔄 When American Weapons End Up With the Enemy
One of the most predictable patterns in US arms sales: weapons sold or supplied to allies regularly end up in the hands of enemies. The US then spends trillions fighting adversaries armed with its own weapons.
Afghanistan → Taliban
The US spent $83B equipping Afghan security forces. When the Taliban took over in August 2021, they captured $7.1B in US military equipment including 75,000+ vehicles, 600,000+ weapons, and 200+ aircraft. The Taliban now has more Black Hawk helicopters than most US allies.
Iraq → ISIS
When ISIS swept through northern Iraq in 2014, they captured vast quantities of US-supplied weapons from the fleeing Iraqi army, including Humvees, M1 Abrams tanks, artillery, and small arms. American soldiers later faced their own weapons in combat against ISIS.
Iran-Contra
The Reagan administration secretly sold 2,000+ missiles to Iran (then under an arms embargo) and used the profits to fund Nicaraguan Contra rebels. Both transactions were illegal. Oliver North shredded documents. Reagan claimed he couldn't remember.
Libya → Everywhere
After the 2011 NATO intervention toppled Gaddafi, his massive weapons stockpiles were looted and spread across Africa. US-origin weapons ended up in Mali, Niger, Syria, and with various militant groups. The Libya intervention armed half of Africa.
Syria → Jihadists
The CIA's $1B/yr Timber Sycamore program armed Syrian rebels. Many weapons ended up with al-Nusra Front (al-Qaeda's affiliate) and other jihadist groups. In one case, a Pentagon-backed group and a CIA-backed group fought each other with US weapons.
Saudi Arabia → Yemen → Al-Qaeda
US weapons sold to Saudi Arabia for use in Yemen have been diverted to al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and allied militias. A CNN investigation found US-made armored vehicles, weapons, and equipment in the hands of groups the US designated as terrorists.
Mujahideen → Al-Qaeda → 9/11
The CIA armed Afghan mujahideen with $3B+ in weapons (including Stinger missiles) to fight the Soviets in the 1980s. Those weapons, training, and fighters became the foundation of the Taliban and al-Qaeda. Osama bin Laden was among those who benefited from US support.
🕳️ Congressional Oversight Loopholes
Arms sales are supposed to be reviewed by Congress. In practice, multiple loopholes ensure that sales proceed with minimal oversight, even to countries with horrific human rights records.
Direct Commercial Sales (DCS)
Companies can sell directly to foreign governments with State Department approval, bypassing the more rigorous Foreign Military Sales process. DCS accounted for $153B in sales in 2023 — nearly double the government-to-government channel.
Emergency Declarations
The president can bypass congressional review by declaring an "emergency." Trump used this to push through $8.1B in Saudi sales in 2019 after Congress tried to block them over Yemen. Biden used it for tank rounds to Israel in 2024.
Excess Defense Articles
The US gives away "excess" military equipment to allies for free or at deep discounts. This program has transferred billions in equipment to countries that might not pass human rights reviews if they had to purchase it normally.
$100M Notification Threshold
Arms sales under $100M to NATO allies don't require congressional notification. Companies structure deals to stay just under the threshold, selling in tranches to avoid oversight.
End-Use Monitoring Failures
The US is supposed to track where weapons end up after sale. In practice, monitoring is woefully inadequate. A 2023 GAO report found the Pentagon couldn't account for the location of tens of thousands of exported weapons.
Leahy Law Waivers
The Leahy Law prohibits arms sales to foreign military units that commit human rights abuses. In practice, the State Department routinely grants waivers or defines "units" narrowly to avoid triggering the law.
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.
🌐 International Arms Trade Treaty
The Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2013, regulates the international trade in conventional arms. It requires signatories to assess whether weapons sales might be used to commit human rights abuses, terrorism, or violations of international humanitarian law.
The United States signed but never ratified the treaty. In 2019, the Trump administration “unsigned” it entirely. The world's largest arms dealer refuses to be bound by rules governing the arms trade.
Countries that have ratified: 113 (including the UK, France, Germany, Japan, and Australia). Countries that refuse: the US, Russia, and China — the world's top three arms exporters.
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.
- • The Taliban captured $7.1 billion in US military equipment when Afghanistan fell, including Black Hawk helicopters.
- • A Raytheon MK-82 bomb killed 40 children on a school bus in Yemen in 2018. Arms sales to Saudi Arabia continued.
- • The AUKUS submarine deal is worth $368 billion — the largest arms deal in history.
- • The US has not ratified the Arms Trade Treaty. Neither have Russia and China.
Data Sources
- • Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) — Arms Transfers Database
- • Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) — Foreign Military Sales (FMS) data
- • Congressional Research Service (CRS) — “Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations”
- • Department of State — Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) authorizations
- • Government Accountability Office (GAO) — arms transfer oversight reports
- • Arms Control Association — fact sheets and databases