»Die globale Waffenproduktion hat sich als resistent gegenüber der Covid-19-Pandemie erwiesen«

Global arms production was largely resilient against the shock of the Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting economic downturn. While the global economy contracted by 3.1 per cent in 2020, the aggregated arms sales of the Top 100 increased. This can be attributed to at least three key factors. First, the arms industry, like many other economic sectors, benefited from expansionary fiscal policies during the first year of the pandemic. Military manufacturers were largely shielded by sustained government demand for military goods and services. Second, some states rolled out specific measures to mitigate the effects of government-mandated lockdowns on their arms companies, such as accelerated payments or order schedules. Third, because arms procurement contracts usually span several years, many arms companies were able to make gains on orders placed before the outbreak of the health crisis.

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With 41 arms companies, the USA hosted the highest number of companies ranked in the Top 100 of any country worldwide. Together, their arms sales amounted to $285 billion, an increase of 1.9 per cent compared with 2019. US companies accounted for 54 per cent of the combined arms sales of the Top 100.

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The combined arms sales of the five Chinese companies included in the ranking amounted to an estimated $66.8 billion in 2020—1.5 per cent more than in 2019. With a 13 per cent share of total Top 100 arms sales, Chinese arms companies had the second highest volume of aggregated arms sales in 2020, behind US firms and ahead of British companies. The rise of China as a major arms producer has been driven by its aim to become more self-reliant in weapons production and by the implementation of ambitious modernization programmes. All five Chinese arms companies ranked among the top 20, with three in the top 10.

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There were 26 European companies ranked in the Top 100 in 2020. Together, they accounted for 21 per cent of total Top 100 arms sales or $109 billion, up by 1.0 per cent compared with 2019. Of these firms, seven are headquartered in the United Kingdom, six in France, four in Germany, two in Italy and one each in Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden and Ukraine. Two of the 26 companies, Airbus and MBDA, are categorized as ‘trans-European’ since their ownership and control structures are located in more than one European country. 

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