Norwegian arms exports down 20 percent

Norwegian DefenceNorwegian Defence.Photo: Marte Christensen / NTB scanpix

Norway exported weapons for NOK 1.9 billion in 2016, which is NOK 485 million less than the year before, according to Statistics Norway.

With the exception of 2015, the trend for weapons exports has been declining since the peak of 2009, when exports were NOK 3.1 billion.

Last year, there was a decline in all three major weapons groups. “Bombs, grenades, mines, missiles and similar munitions of war” fell by about one third to NOK 742 million. The group “weapons and weapon parts” exports were reduced to approximately 20%, while exports were 10% less for “cartridges and parts.”

In the final weapons group “tanks and other motorized armoured vehicles and parts”, there was a marked increase in exports – from NOK 26 million to NOK 75 million.

The US is still the largest recipient of Norwegian weapons. In 2016, 40 percent of weapons exports went to the Americans, while the figure for NATO countries combined was 75 percent.

The underlying data in Statistics Norway is based on customs export declarations and focuses on military weapons with the exception of war ships and fighter aircraft.

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today