New report reveals Europe emerging as 'hotspot' for arms imports

A new report by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) has shown that Europe is emerging as 'hotspot' for arms imports.

"Europe is the new hotspot", said Siemon Wezeman, co-author of the annual report for over three decades.

"The severe deterioration in relations between most European states and Russia was an important driver of growth in European arms imports, especially for states that cannot meet all their requirements through their national arms industries."

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"We are going to increase our military spending not just by a little bit but by a lot. We need new weapons and a lot of that will come from imports", the senior researcher said, adding that the majority was likely to come from other European countries and the US.

European countries spooked by Russia's invasion of Ukraine are expected to beef up their militaries with fighter jets, such as the American F-35, missiles, artillery and other heavy weapons.

"Most of these things take a bit of time. You have to go through the process, you have to decide, you have to order, you have to produce. This generally takes a couple of years at least", Wezeman said.

He said the upward trend actually started after Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea, with the effects visible now.

Europe's share of the global arms trade has already risen from 10 to 13 percent in the past five year, and this share will increase "substantially", according to Wezeman.

Britain, Norway and the Netherlands were Europe's biggest importers, it said. Ukraine's imports of major arms were very limited in the period despite tensions with Russia in the run-up to Moscow's invasion of Ukraine last month.

"Other European states are also expected to increase their arms imports significantly over the coming decade, having recently placed large orders for major arms, in particular combat aircraft from the USA," the think-tank said.

"Tensions between China and many states in Asia and Oceania are the main driver of arms imports in the region," the report's authors said in a statement.

In the Middle East, the second-largest market, accounting for 32 percent of global arms imports, the increase was three percent, driven mainly by investments in Qatar amid tensions with its Gulf neighbours.

The United States remained the world's biggest arms exporter, growing its market share to 39 per cent from 32 per cent.

SIPRI's data is based on information and estimates on international arms transfers including sales, gifts and production under licence and reflects delivery volumes, not the financial value of deals.

(With inputs from agencies)