US Defence Exports in India: India is moving closer to the United States in defence matters, and at the same time US is also becoming the biggest weapons seller in the world. Over the last ten years, the US has increased its share of global defence exports a lot. After the COVID-19 pandemic, global tensions went up and many countries started spending more on defence.
From 2007 to 2012, the US made up about 30.7% of global defence exports. This number grew to around 33.3% between 2013 and 2018. In the period from 2019 to 2024, the US share jumped to more than 42%. This shows how strong America has become in the global arms market.
In October, India and the US signed a 10-year defence framework deal to strengthen defence cooperation. This came after a rough patch in trade relations when the US had placed a 25% tariff on Indian goods because of India’s links with Russian oil and weapons. That tariff was removed on February 6 after the US said India promised to stop buying Russian oil directly or indirectly.
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What the US is Exporting the Most?
Planes remain the main item the US sells to other countries. Between 2019 and 2024, aircraft made up almost 60% of all American weapons exports. This is close to earlier levels, even though there was a short drop before 2013. Missile sales have increased quickly. Their share rose from around 11% in 2007-2012 to more than 20% in recent years. This shows that many countries now want strong air defence and precise attack weapons.
Other systems like sensors are also becoming more popular. At the same time, older military equipment such as tanks, warships, and big guns are slowly being sold less. The US is clearly focusing more on advanced and modern technology.
The countries buying US weapons have also changed over time. Earlier, most sales went to Asian partners like South Korea, Australia, and Japan. Now, more orders are coming from West Asia and Europe.
Countries like Japan, Ukraine, Qatar, and Australia have moved higher on the list because of new security needs.
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India’s Place in US Defence Exports
India’s position as a buyer of US weapons has changed over time but remains important. From 2007 to 2012, India ranked 24th among US defence customers. Between 2013 and 2018, it jumped to fifth place. In the 2019-2024 period, India stood at 13th place. During this time, India made up around 2.6% of total US arms exports.
This trend shows that India is slowly reducing its dependence on Russia while still buying weapons from many different countries. US defence equipment has gained a bigger role in India’s imports, especially in aircraft, missiles, engines, and sensors. Engines now make up more than a quarter of India’s imports from the US in these areas. Aircraft purchases from the US have also stayed strong over the years.
