US weapons sales abroad hit record high in 2023, boosted by Ukraine war

US weapons sales overseas rose sharply last year, reaching a record total of $238bn (£187bn), as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine stoked demand.

The US government directly negotiated $81bn in sales, a 56% increase from 2022, the state department reported.

The rest were direct sales by US defence companies to foreign nations.

Ukraine’s neighbour Poland, currently on a drive to expand its military, made some of the biggest purchases.

Poland bought Apache helicopters for $12bn, and also paid $10bn for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (Himars) and $3.75bn for M1A1 Abrams tanks, the department said in a report for the US government’s fiscal year that ended in October.

It also spent $4bn on Integrated Air and Missile Defence Battle Command Systems.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk has vowed to continue the previous conservative government’s military modernisation programme, which aimed to make Poland “the most powerful land force in Europe”.