How Russia’s declining arms sales is reshaping the global defence industry
Serbia has reportedly been close to signing a €3 billion deal with France’s Dassault Aviation for up to 12 Rafale fighter jets. (Photo: French Air Force on X)
As Serbia considers a multi-billion-euro deal for French Rafale fighter jets, its move towards Western arms has signalled a significant departure from its reliance on Russian equipment, reflecting broader shifts in global defence procurement.
Russia’s international arms sales halved between 2019 and 2023. With war raging in Ukraine and sanctions hitting Moscow hard, the country fell behind France for the first time becoming the world's third-largest arms exporter, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
As Russia’s influence wanes – the country exported major arms to 31 states in 2019 but only exported to 12 in 2023 – countries such as India are focusing more on their own military strengths and teaming up with old rivals. Age-old alley Serbia, meanwhile, has been increasingly turning to the West for military gear, marking change driven by practical needs and global politics. The trend will likely continue
Already have an account? Log in
Want to keep reading this article?
Read this Article
Get access to this article with a Free Basic Account
- Original curated content, daily across air, land and naval domains
- 2 free stories per week
- Daily news round-up email service
- Access to all Decisive Edge email newsletters
Unlimited Access
Access to all our premium news as a Premium News 365 Member. Corporate subscriptions available.
- Original curated content, daily across air, land and naval domains
- 14-day free trial (cancel at any time)
- Unlimited access to all published premium news
More from Air Warfare
-
![General Atomics’ MQ-9B passes full-scale second lifetime fatigue test]()
General Atomics’ MQ-9B passes full-scale second lifetime fatigue test
The MQ-9B is General Atomics' most advanced remotely piloted aircraft. The fatigue test was the second of three lifetimes of testing for the aircraft, the equivalent of 80,000 hours.
-
![AUSA 2024: Leonardo unveils BriteStorm stand-in jammer payload]()
AUSA 2024: Leonardo unveils BriteStorm stand-in jammer payload
Leonardo’s BriteStorm payload has been designed to be flown forward of aircraft to deceive ground forces.
-
![Italy looks to advance development of airborne electronic warfare initiatives]()
Italy looks to advance development of airborne electronic warfare initiatives
Italy’s ELT Group involvement in airborne electronic warfare initiatives, including developing systems for the Eurofighter Typhoon and future sixth-generation combat aircraft, has been focused on integrated sensing, non-kinetic effects and communications.
-
![Horizon Aircraft promotes military use case for Cavorite X7 eVTOL]()
Horizon Aircraft promotes military use case for Cavorite X7 eVTOL
The Cavorite X7 is being promoted to serve three key military operational use-cases: ISR, medical evacuation and insertion/extraction.
