Azerbaijan Increased Arms Imports by 378% in 5 Years. Main Supplier is Russia

The USA and Russia together accounted for 56% of the volume of arms exports during the five-year period 2009–2013, according to new data on international arms transfers published on Monday by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

The five largest suppliers of major weapons during this period were the United States (29% of global arms exports), Russia (27%), Germany (7%), China (6%) and France (5%). These top 5 suppliers accounted for 74% of the total volume of arms exports worldwide.

"Russia has maintained high levels of arms exports despite the crisis in its arms industry in the post-cold war period," said Siemon Wezeman, Senior Researcher with the SIPRI Arms Transfers Programme, according to the Mar. 17 SIPI press release. "In 2009–2013 Russia delivered major arms to 52 states. Russia’s most significant export in 2013 was of an aircraft carrier to India."

Overall, the volume of international transfers of major conventional weapons grew by 14% between 2004–08 and 2009–13.

The largest importer of arms was India (14% of global arms imports), followed by China and Pakistan (5% each). 

The UK was the largest importer of major weapons in Europe (receiving slightly more than 12% of deliveries), followed by Azerbaijan (12%) and Greece (11%). Imports by Azerbaijan increased by 378% between 2004–2008 and 2009–2013, with Russia accounting for 80% of Azerbaijan’s arms imports, according to the SIPRI report.