Military equipment inventories and acquisitions: the US military's inventory is comprised almost entirely of domestically-produced weapons systems (some assembled with foreign components) along with a smaller mix of imported equipment from a variety of Western countries; since 2010, Germany and the UK are the leading suppliers of military hardware; the US defense industry is capable of designing, developing, maintaining, and producing the full spectrum of weapons systems; the US is the world's leading arms exporter (2020)
Definition: This entry provides basic information on each country’s military equipment inventories, as well as how they acquire their equipment; it is intended to show broad trends in major military equipment holdings, such as tanks and other armored vehicles, air defense systems, artillery, naval ships, helicopters, and fixed-wing aircraft. Arms acquisition information is an overview of major arms suppliers over a specific period of time, including second-hand arms delivered as aid, with a focus on major weapons systems. It is based on the type and number of weapon systems ordered and delivered and the financial value of the deal. For some countries, general information on domestic defense industry capabilities is provided.
Source: CIA World Factbook - This page was last updated on Saturday, September 18, 2021
