Spanish arms sales fell by 9% during 2021, on the eve of the invasion of Ukraine

Spanish Pavilion at the IDEX International Defense Exhibition and Conference in Abu Dhabi, in February 2021. ERIK ARAZAS (EFE)

Exports of Spanish defense material fell by 9.1% in 2021, to 3,290.2 million euros, the lowest figure since 2014, when they totaled 3,203.2 million, according to statistics from the Secretary of State for Trade .

However, only two months later, on February 24 of this year, the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, which has led to an unprecedented rearmament of European countries and a new golden age for weapons manufacturers. .

The fact that last year only 22.6% of the operations approved by the Government were executed, for a total of 14,580.2 million, already predicted a strong rebound in 2021, even without a war erupting on European soil .

52.3% of Spanish defense material exports in 2021 were directed to European Union partners and 73.4% to EU and NATO countries.

63.4% of sales corresponded to the aeronautical sector, led by the company Airbus.

The first four clients were European (France, United Kingdom, Germany and the Netherlands), followed by Australia and Saudi Arabia.

Ammunition sales increased by 59.4% to 165 million.

47.9% of the total was sold to Saudi Arabia and 8.81% to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), so the two countries that lead the coalition involved in the conflict in Yemen bought 56.7% of the total exported last year.

The Government claims to have guarantees that this ammunition is not used in war, which the NGOs question.

These are the highlights of the report sent to Congress:

12 tanker planes.

The Government approved the sale of eight aerial refueling aircraft (MRTT) to France for 1,328 million and another four to the Netherlands for 800 million, although they were not fully delivered last year.

Ship for Australia.

The main naval operation in 2021 was a logistics support ship from the Navantia public shipyard for the Australian Navy for 261.4 million.

However, official statistics do not yet reflect the five corvettes already built for Saudi Arabia for 1.8 billion.

Morocco and Algeria.

Spain exported weapons to its two neighbors to the south, plunged into a spiral of tension.

Morocco bought Spanish products for 14.9 million, including 91 transport vehicles (11.7 million), spare parts for transport planes and mortars.

Algerian purchases were left in half.

Algiers received spare parts for transport planes, anti-mine protection for vehicles and remote control systems for 12.7-millimeter weapons for 7.2 million.

Saudi Arabia.

Riyadh bought Spanish military material for 109.1 million, including refueling, transport and combat aircraft parts;

four troop transport launches;

remote weapons control systems and unmanned vehicle control and launch equipment;

in addition to 155-millimeter projectiles, charges, fuses and stubs for 63 million.

Emirates and other Gulf countries.

The United Arab Emirates (USA) bought Spanish weapons for 73.7 million.

Specifically, a transport plane (37.4 million) and 40-millimeter projectiles (12.9) in addition to a 120-millimeter mortar, 60 and 120 grenades, shots and cartridges for light weapons (8.8 million) and limpet mines.

Qatar received 40-millimeter practice shells (2.4 million);

Bahrain, projectile clips and night vision equipment components (41,000 euros);

and Oman, spare parts for transport and combat aircraft, 65 vehicles, surveillance systems and others (33.3 million).

Hercules for Peru.

The Spanish Air Force sold two second-hand US-made C-130 Hercules transport planes to Peru for 24 million.

Israel.

Spain sold 3.4 million euros worth of engine components for a European transport aircraft, aviation bombs to be re-exported to India, components for an aerial intelligence platform and an armored vehicle to be resold to the Philippines, among others.

Sahel.

Spain sold Burkina Faso a transport plane for 31.3 million, as well as 10 transport vehicles and six armored vehicles for the European police project GAR-SI Sahel.

Mauritania bought four light armored vehicles for the same European project for €888,937;

Niger, three armored vehicles for 871,918 euros;

and Mali spare parts for transport aircraft for 420,431 euros.

Egypt.

Cairo bought, among other products, spare parts for aircraft and transport vehicles, remote control systems for weapons, aviation bombs and electronic modules for corvette weapons for 27.6 million.

Gibraltar.

Spain exported weapons to Gibraltar (revolvers, rifles and pistols) for 11,135 euros for armories and individuals.

56 planes for India.

Among the operations already approved but not executed, the sale of 16 Airbus C-295 transport aircraft to India stands out, as well as the equipment, documentation and technical assistance necessary to manufacture another 40, for a total value of 1,100 million.

Police material for Africa.

The main customers of Spanish riot gear are in Africa.

Togo bought cartridges and tear gas for 306,150 euros and the sale of police equipment to the Democratic Republic of Congo was authorized for 4.6 million.

I veto the Hong Kong police.

In 2021, no export of defense material was denied.

Instead, numerous sales of dual-use items (civilian and military) were banned.

Two licenses were denied to Pakistan for 20,000 euros, six to Russia for more than 1.5 million and eleven to China for more than 14.2 million.

The sale of eight thermal cameras to the Honk Kong Police, valued at 994,016 euros, was also vetoed due to the risk that they would be used to repress the democratic movement in the former colony.

The sale of rifles and shotguns to the United States quadruples

The United States was the main buyer of Spanish hunting and sporting weapons last year, with 62.7 million euros, which represents 61.6% of the total.

(101.8 million) The rest was distributed among 65 different countries. 

The value of weapons purchased by private companies and US armories (handguns, rifles, carbines, shotguns, cartridges, bolts and cases) multiplied almost four times the figure for 2021 (19.2 million).

However, the largest increase occurred in operations already approved by the Government but pending execution: 52 licenses were authorized for a total amount of 682.6 million, more than five times more than what was authorized in the entire previous year: 119 .7 million.

Although in much smaller volume, other clients of sporting and hunting weapons manufactured in Spain were Ghana (5.3 million in cartridges), the United Kingdom (3.7 in cartridges, cannons, gunpowder or rifles), Japan (3.1 in cartridges or cases), Australia (2.5 in carbines and rifles), Ukraine (2.1 in shotguns, rifles or cartridges) and South Africa (2.1 in bullets, barrels or scopes).

Instead, the sale of 11.4 million hunting cartridges to Burkina Faso for 1.2 million was denied and the delivery of 3.7 million cartridges to that country for another 1.2 million was suspended, given the risk of that could fall into the hands of the jihadist groups and criminal gangs that operate in this Sahel region.

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