Russia Led Arms Sales to Developing World in '05

[rossana <rossana at comodinoposta.org>]

By THOM SHANKER
Published: October 29, 2006

WASHINGTON, Oct. 28 — Russia surpassed the United States in 2005 as the 
leader in weapons deals with the developing world, and its new 
agreements included selling $700 million in surface-to-air missiles to 
Iran and eight new aerial refueling tankers to China, according to a new 
Congressional study.

Those weapons deals were part of the highly competitive global arms 
bazaar in the developing world that grew to $30.2 billion in 2005, up 
from $26.4 billion in 2004. It is a market that the United States has 
regularly dominated.

Russia’s agreements with Iran are not the biggest part of its total 
sales — India and China are its principal buyers. But the sales to 
improve Iran’s air-defense system are particularly troubling to the 
United States because they would complicate the task of Pentagon 
planners should the president order airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear weapons 
facilities.

The Bush administration has vowed a diplomatic solution in dealing with 
Iran. But as United Nations diplomats argue over potential sanctions 
against Iran for its nuclear ambitions, Russian officials have expressed 
reluctance to vote for the most stringent economic sanctions, partly 
owing to Moscow’s extensive trade relations with Tehran.

Russia’s weapons sales to China also worry Pentagon planners. Although 
China has joined the United States in partnership to press for a 
resumption of six-party talks to end North Korea’s nuclear weapons 
program after its recent test, Taiwan remains a potential flash point 
between Beijing and Washington.

Thus, China’s ability to refuel its attack planes and bombers to enable 
them to fly farther from Chinese soil could require the United States 
Navy to operate even farther out to sea should the United States 
military be called to deal with a crisis in the Taiwan Strait. That 
would have an impact on the range and number of air missions of United 
States Navy aircraft launched from carriers.

Details of the specific weapons deals in the global arms trade last year 
are included in an annual study by the Congressional Research Service 
that is considered the most thorough compilation of statistics available 
in an unclassified form. The report was delivered to members of Congress 
on Friday.

Among other arms transfers described in the study was a statistic that a 
single, unnamed nation — but one identified separately by Pentagon and 
other administration officials to be North Korea — shipped about 40 
ballistic missiles to other nations in the four-year period ending in 
2005, the only nation to have done so. Transfers of these weapons are 
prohibited under international agreements to control the trade of 
ballistic missiles.

United Nations sanctions passed earlier this month after the North 
Korean nuclear test include a new and specific ban on trade or transport 
of ballistic missiles and missile parts to or from North Korea.

The report, entitled “Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing 
Nations,” found that Russia’s arms agreements with the developing world 
totaled $7 billion in 2005, an increase from its $5.4 billion in sales 
in 2004. That figure surpassed the United States’ annual sales 
agreements to the developing world for the first time since the collapse 
of the Soviet Union.

France ranked second in arms transfer agreements to developing nations, 
with $6.3 billion, and the United States was third, with $6.2 billion.

The leading buyer in the developing world in 2005 was India, with $5.4 
billion in weapons purchases, followed by Saudi Arabia with $3.4 billion 
and China with $2.8 billion.

The total value of all arms sales deals worldwide, when counting both 
developing and developed nations, in 2005 was $44.2 billion.

The Russian sales in 2005 included 29 of the SA-15 Gauntlet 
surface-to-air missile systems for Iran; Russia also signed deals to 
upgrade Iran’s Su-24 bombers and MIG-29 fighter aircraft, as well as its 
T-72 battle tanks.

“For a period of time, in the mid-1990s, the Russian government agreed 
not to make new advanced weapons sales to the Iran government,” wrote 
Richard F. Grimmett, author of the study by the Congressional Research 
Service, a division of the Library of Congress. “That agreement has 
since been rescinded by Russia. As the U.S. focuses increasing attention 
on Iran’s efforts to enhance its nuclear as well as conventional 
military capabilities, major arms transfers to Iran continue to be a 
matter of concern.”

Russia also agreed in 2005 to sell China eight of the IL-78M aerial 
refueling tanker aircraft, according to the study.

In 2005, the United States led in total arms transfer agreements, when 
deals to both developed and developing nations are combined. The total 
was $12.8 billion, down from $13.2 billion in 2004.

The report charted no blockbuster military sales deals by the United 
States in 2005, and the total in many ways was reached by sales of spare 
parts for weapons purchased under previous contracts.

France ranked second in total sales, with $7.9 billion, up from $2.2 
billion in 2004. Russia was third when sales to developing and developed 
nations were combined, with $7.4 billion, up from $5.6 billion in 2004.

The study uses figures in 2005 dollars, with amounts for previous years 
adjusted to account for inflation.
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