How much has the Ukrainian war benefited American arms companies?

According to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Institute, as a result of the increase in arms exports to Ukraine during the war with Russia, the volume of US arms exports has increased significantly, accounting for 43% of total global exports.

According to a study by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the war in Ukraine has increased the US’s dominance in the arms industry.  The institute said that between 2020 and 2024, compared to the previous five-year period, US arms exports increased by more than a fifth, reaching 43% of global arms exports. According to the report, the United States’ share of global arms exports over the past two decades has been 35%. According to Matthew George, director of SIPRI’s arms transfers program: “The United States is in a unique position when it comes to arms exports.” The US's 43% share of global arms exports is four times that of France, the world's second-largest arms exporter.

The American company Lockheed is the largest arms manufacturer in the world.   

The American company Lockheed is the world's largest arms manufacturer. In 2022, the company received orders from the Pentagon worth more than $45 billion, which accounted for about 70% of its total revenue that year. The company, which produces the fifth-generation F-35 fighter jet, is likely to maintain its position as a cornerstone of the US Air Force for the foreseeable future.

American company Raytheon

RTX Corporation, also known as Raytheon, received more than $25 billion in weapons orders from the Pentagon in 2022. The company is the world’s second-largest defense company by revenue, although defense revenue accounts for only 59% of the company’s total revenue. With more than $67 billion in total revenue, the company has played a key role in providing U.S. weapons to Ukraine. Reports indicate that for the first time in two decades, the largest share of U.S. arms shipments went to Europe, not West Asia, although Saudi Arabia remains the largest buyer of U.S. weapons.   
Russia, once a major arms exporter, has reduced its exports since the war began in 2022.

Ukraine is the world's largest arms importer

SIPRI noted in its report that from 2020 to 2024. Ukraine was the world's largest importer of weapons. Compared to 2015-2019, during that period, Ukraine's arms import volume increased by 100 percent. The report noted that over the past 5 years, due to fear of Russia and pressure from the United States, European countries have also increased their arms imports.

Matthew George added that despite public calls to reduce dependence on arms imports and strengthen the arms industry in Europe, the continent's leaders have decided to continue buying weapons from the United States.