Arms Sales

After the Cold War arms race ended between the United States and the Soviet Union, defense spending cuts rocked U.S. arms manufacturers. Many were forced to downsize or merge with competitors. To stay in business, weapons makers are focusing increasingly on exports. With defense firms from other nations cutting back on production, the United States has emerged as the undisputed leader in the vast international arms bazaar. The spread of regional conflicts around the globe has brought new buyers for fighter planes, tanks, missiles and other conventional arms, especially developing countries in the Near East and East Asia. The Clinton administration, meanwhile, is dismaying arms control advocates by promoting exports of weaponry as part of its campaign to enhance U.S. industrial competitiveness.