Topic: Arms supply

On 21 April 1975, Godhra MP and founding member of Swatantra Party spoke in the Lok Sabha during a debate on defence expenditure and purchase of arms. 'We have been, especially since the last war with Pakistan, shopping round the world.'

South Korea's arms sales jumped to more than $17 billion in 2022 from $7.25 billion the year before, according to its defence ministry.

A recent report by SIPRI revealed that while India remains the largest importers of arms, Russia’s contribution to its imports declined between 2018-2022 and French exports increased.

At the end of May, US announced military assistance worth $4.6 billion for Ukraine, UK has announced military aid worth £1.3 billion, while EU has declared €2 billion in military support.

SIPRI's 2021 Trends in International Arms Transfers report says India, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Australia, and China were world's top 5 arms importers in 2017-21 period.

Procurement procedures in the armed forces are near perfect. So if sub-standard equipment pass through, it's either because the leadership is corrupt or it is incompetent.

India is now looking at acquiring 6 armed drones from the US instead of the planned mix of 30 armed and non-armed drones. It is also in talks with Israel.

According to the Trends in International Arms Transfers, 2018 report, India's import of arms decreased by 24 per cent between 2009-2013 and 2014-2018.

Beijing is the dominant weapons exporter to Pakistan, Myanmar and Bangladesh, says Stockholm institute report.