On May 28, the United States reported its 1998 exports and imports of major conventional weapons to the voluntary UN Register of Conventional Weapons. Now in its seventh year, the register calls on countries to annually provide information on their trade in tanks, armored combat vehicles (ACVs), large-caliber artillery, combat aircraft, attack helicopters, warships and missiles and missile systems. Countries may also volunteer information on military holdings, procurement through national production and relevant arms transfer policies for the preceding calendar year. The register aims to promote transparency in armaments with the purpose of revealing destabilizing accumulations.

During 1998, the United States, according to its UN register data, exported 2,700 major conventional weapons to 28 countries and Taiwan. In comparison, the U.S. totaled 4,759 exports to 27 countries and Taiwan in 1997. The leading individual importer of U.S. arms in 1998 was Taiwan with 355 imports, while Europe, 1,067 imports, took delivery of the most weapons regionally.

Like 1997, missiles ranked as the top U.S. weapons system export at 1,749 deliveries, though the total fell well below the 1997 mark of 3,072, of which 1,502 went to Israel. While exports of battle tanks, ACVs, artillery and attack helicopters were lower than in 1997, exports of combat aircraft and warships increased.

U.S. imports for the year consisted of a single amphibious reconnaissance vehicle from Bosnia-Herzegovina. —For more information contact Wade Boese.

1998 (1997)

1998 (1997)