Germany Doubles Conventional Weaponry Exports

Berlin, Germany (AHN) – Germany has doubled the amount of weapons and military technology it exports over the past five years and is the world’s third largest exporter of conventional weaponry.

According to a new report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Germany doubled the amount of weaponry it exported during the 2004 to 2009 period, compared to the prior five year period.

Germany now exports 11 percent of the world’s conventional weaponry. Its exports include armored vehicles, which includes submarines and tanks. The United States leads the world in weaponry exports with 30 percent of weapons originating in the U.S. Russia comes in second with 23 percent of global expenditures for weapons going to buy arms from that nation.

Most of Germany’s weaponry is being sold to other European nations. But some of it is also being sold to African, Asian or South American countries.

Germany’s top customer is Turkey, followed by Greece and South Africa. Other nations that buy weaponry from Germany include South Korea, Malaysia, Spain, Austria, Italy, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Singapore and China.

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