US Arms Exports Up 49 Percent in Fiscal 2022

US Arms Exports Up 49 Percent in Fiscal 2022
U.S. M1A2 "Abrams" tank moves to firing positions during U.S. led joint military exercise "Noble Partner 2016" near Vaziani, Georgia, on May 18, 2016. David Mdzinarishvili/Reuters
Reuters
Updated:
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WASHINGTON—Sales of U.S. military equipment to foreign governments rose 49 percent to $205.6 billion in the latest fiscal year, the U.S. State Department said on Wednesday.

Sales approved in the year included $13.9 billion worth of F-15ID fighter jets to Indonesia, $6.9 billion worth of Multi-Mission Surface Combatant ships to Greece, and $6 billion worth of M1A2 Abrams tanks to Poland.

General Dynamics Corp. makes the Abrams tank, Boeing makes the F-15 jet and Lockheed Martin Corp. makes the ships.

There are two major ways foreign governments purchase arms from U.S. companies: direct commercial sales negotiated between a government and a company, and foreign military sales in which a foreign government typically contacts a Defense Department official at the U.S. embassy in its capital. Both require U.S. government approval.

The direct military sales by U.S. companies rose 48.6 percent to $153.7 billion in fiscal 2022 from $103 billion in fiscal 2021, while sales arranged through the U.S. government rose 49.1 percent to $51.9 billion in 2022 from $34.8 billion the prior year, the State Department said.

Sales of U.S. military equipment in the prior fiscal year totaled $138 billion.

By Mike Stone