Russia Led Arms Sales to Developing World in ’05

nytimes.com ^ | October 29, 2006 | THOM SHANKER

[Tailgunner Joe]

Although China has joined the United States in partnership to press for a resumption of six-party talks to end North Korea’s nuclear weapons program after its recent test, Taiwan remains a potential flash point between Beijing and Washington.

Thus, China’s ability to refuel its attack planes and bombers to enable them to fly farther from Chinese soil could require the United States Navy to operate even farther out to sea should the United States military be called to deal with a crisis in the Taiwan Strait. That would have an impact on the range and number of air missions of United States Navy aircraft launched from carriers.

Details of the specific weapons deals in the global arms trade last year are included in an annual study by the Congressional Research Service that is considered the most thorough compilation of statistics available in an unclassified form. The report was delivered to members of Congress on Friday.

Among other arms transfers described in the study was a statistic that a single, unnamed nation — but one identified separately by Pentagon and other administration officials to be North Korea — shipped about 40 ballistic missiles to other nations in the four-year period ending in 2005, the only nation to have done so. Transfers of these weapons are prohibited under international agreements to control the trade of ballistic missiles. ...

The report, entitled “Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations,” found that Russia’s arms agreements with the developing world totaled $7 billion in 2005, an increase from its $5.4 billion in sales in 2004. That figure surpassed the United States’ annual sales agreements to the developing world for the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

[US Navy guy]

Russia(read Present day USSR) ALWAYS has been a terrorist world's Arms Supplier.

[Flavius]

and if there is one thing that developing world need is brand new tractor arms

[operation clinton cleanup]

That figure surpassed the United States’ annual sales agreements to the developing world for the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

I'm no arms expert, but I suspect the USSR shipments far surpassed that of the USA, if in quantity if not in price.

[Dutch Boy]

I have to say I contributed to the problem a few years ago when I bought a VEPR K 5.45x39mm and a case of Russian ammo.