UK Arms Exports Surge in 2022

In a stark revelation, a new report by the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) indicates that UK arms exports reached a record high in 2022, almost doubling to £8.5 billion (€9.8 billion).

Historically a major global weapons producer, the UK granted the highest-ever value of arms export licenses on record.

This alarming development coincides with a surge in violence and conflict worldwide, culminating in the highest number of conflict-related fatalities seen in 28 years in 2022. 

This spike in violence can be attributed in large part to ongoing conflicts in Ethiopia and Ukraine, with the UK staunchly supporting Ukraine in its confrontation with Russia.

CAAT expressed concerns regarding the transparency of arms supplies to Ukraine and the lack of clarity regarding what will happen to these weapons once the conflict concludes. 

Ukraine, in particular, has raised worries due to these transparency issues.

The report, released on Thursday, exposes that the majority of UK weapons exports ended up in the hands of repressive regimes or countries with troubling human rights records, notably in the Middle East. 

In 2022, Qatar led the pack in arms acquisitions, totaling £2.7 billion (€3.1 billion), primarily involving a deal for 24 Typhoon combat aircraft. 

Saudi Arabia followed closely behind with £1.1 billion (€1.3 billion) in purchases, primarily consisting of missiles and bomb components.

It's essential to note that Saudi Arabia has been involved in Yemen's civil war since 2015, a conflict that has resulted in the direct and indirect deaths of hundreds of thousands, according to the United Nations. 

Saudi-led airstrikes have faced allegations of being war crimes, with London reportedly accused of providing personnel, expertise, and armaments for this devastating campaign.

The next three top recipients of UK arms exports were the United States (£860 million/€995 million), Turkey (£424 million/€490 million), and Ukraine (£401 million/€463 million), as per the CAAT report. 

However, it's worth mentioning that arms provided by London to Kyiv are not included in this figure, despite forming a significant portion of arms supplies to Ukraine.

The authors of the report highlighted that "the government has made clear that they will not publish details of contracts for arms procured from overseas for Ukraine," emphasizing that the rapid procurement process combined with this lack of transparency increases the risk of waste and corruption.

Moreover, the risk of arms diversion, particularly after the conclusion of the conflict, to other countries, armed groups, or criminal organizations remains a major concern, especially considering Ukraine's historical challenges in this area.

Regarding the UK's Western allies, the group noted the bulk of sales to the US were of small arms, such as sniper rifles, which it called "highly "problematic" in a press release. 

"Weapons exported by the UK could contribute to gun violence, or be smuggled to Mexico and Central America where a large proportion of the guns used by criminal gangs originate from the US," it wrote. 

The CAAT study revealed UK arms had been sold in "unidentified regions, presumably where the companies have not disclosed the customer." 

Many UK weapons deals are made through a secretive and opaque licensing system, allowing tens of billions of missiles, bombs and machine guns to reach "sensitive locations", CAAT said in 2020.

"The UK is complicit in fuelling conflict around the world. Billions of pounds of arms are exported to dictatorial, or near-dictatorial regimes that commit appalling human rights violations with a disturbing lack of transparency," CAAT’s media coordinator Emily Apple is quoted as saying by The Canary. 

The CAAT report urged the UK government to stop issuing export licences to states engaged in "serious and persistent" human rights abuses.