Russia’s war in Ukraine and growing concern over China help boost US arms transfers
- Arms supplied to allies and partners rose by almost 50 per cent last year to reach almost US$52 billion, the Pentagon says
- One of the biggest deals was a US$14 billion sale of F-15 jets to Indonesia, which faces an increasing challenge from Beijing in the South China Sea
The Defence Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), a subsidiary of the defence department responsible for supplies, training and military-to-military exchanges with allies, said the total arms transferred stood at almost US$52 billion in the fiscal year 2022, compared with US$34.8 billion the previous year.
The transfers include regular arms sales as well as equipment supplied under various assistance programmes, according to the report on the Pentagon’s website.
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“Central European countries, for example, are looking to get some of the same capabilities that have worked well for the Ukrainian army, and to increase their own capabilities for deterrence,” Hursch said.