Russia Tops India's Arms Market

28.10.2011 Through the 8-year period (2003-2010), India's overall volume of identified military import made $18.864 bln, reports World Arms Trade Analytic Center (WATAC).

Statistics includes identified import of new arms, license programs, deliveries of decommissioned assets, repairs and modernization. USD denominated, volume of import is counted upon receipt of arms.

One may estimate prospects of India's arms import on the basis of the fact that backlog of import orders for defense products formed by India in 2003-2010 (ignoring large tenders being held at the time) was more than two times as much as volume of real import and made $38.579 bln.

Russia tops the India's rating of largest arms exporters in the period of 2003-2010 with $11.154 bln. Russia holds 59% of India's arms market as of real scope of deliveries in 2003-2010. Backlog of orders formed for the same period was $19.937 bln.

Second position in the rating is held by Israel with $2.683 bln (14.2%). Backlog of import orders formed for 2003-2010 was $4.094 bln.

Great Britain holds the third position with $2.555 bln (13.5%). Backlog of orders was $3.452 bln.

The rest places are held by France with $792 mln (backlog was $3.986 bln), the US with $509 mln (backlog was $4.23 bln), Italy with $335 mln (backlog was $1.49 bln), and Poland $262 mln (backlog was $202 mln).

Summarizing the period of 2003-2010, among other exporters of defense products to Indian market one should notice Germany with $210 mln (backlog of orders was completely implemented), Netherlands with $120 mln (backlog was $89 mln), and Ukraine with $84 mln (backlog was $524 mln).

Australia, Canada, Norway, and Sweden exported arms to India as well.

In total, in the period of 2003-2010 India had imported defense products from 15 countries.

Detailed analysis of world arms trade market is given in the catalog annually published by WATAC. It also contains forecast for world arms export in the period of 2011-2014.