Sources of Information

UK arms export data

Information about UK arms exports is available in two main forms - licences that have been granted (or occasionally refused) and actual deliveries. The government also estimates total orders for defence equipment and services .

Export licences

CAAT's web browser provides the easiest means of accessing this information. The data is sourced from the Dept for Business, Innovation & Skills' UK export licence database

The government's list of military and dual-use items details the types of equipment that require an export licence, and the government's Strategic Export Controls annual reports provide further background on the export licensing process.

Deliveries

Overseas trade statistics are provided by HM Revenue & Customs, although they are not easy to navigate, and only provide information on a limited subset of arms exports.

Orders

Estimated arms export orders are provided in the MoD's Trade, Industry and Contracts Statistics .

Arms export promotion

The government's arms promotion unit, the Defence & Security Organisation (DSO), has identified priority markets and produces market briefings for a number of these.

Arms embargoes

The Foreign office has a list of current arms embargoes and other trade restrictions relevant to the UK.

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) has a database of international arms embargoes

Global, EU & US arms export data

CAAT uses two main sources for international arms trade figures: SIPRI which uses public sources but does not include components or services; and the US Congressional Research Service (CRS) which uses non-public US Government data. A short comparison of the sources is available here. UN and EU data is also linked below.

Arms companies

Arms companies can be located using CAAT's company map, arms industry directories and lists of exhibitors at arms fairs. Further information can then be found on individual company websites.

CAAT's company map. Information on companies' export licence applications for equipment on the Military List, has been obtained though Freedom of Information Act requests.

ADS members (ADS is the UK arms industry's trade organisation. It covers "Aerospace, Defence, Security and Space sectors".)

Arms fairs, for example the DSEI 2019 list of exhibitors

Major arms companies

The largest arms companies have a lot of information in the general and trade media, and the existence (though not the details) of many of their deals will be in the public domain. Researchers have also produced profiles of some of the major companies.

CAAT - information on some major arms companies

Corporate Watch - Arms trade research, including corporate profiles of various arms companies, including BAE Systems, Elbit Systems, L3Harris, Israel Aerospace Industries & Raytheon.

SIPRI - data on the top 100 arms-producing and military services companies

Corruption

The arms trade is notoriously prone to corruption. The World Peace Foundation maintains a Compendium of Arms Trade Corruption, with details of 42 cases of corruption in the international arms trade and domestic arms procurement around the world.

Please note that CAAT is not responsible for the content of external websites.