What do we know about the international arms trade?
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) deserves immense credit for providing international arms transfer data, an invaluable resource for researchers, civil society, and policymakers.
However, commentators often misunderstand the underlying methodology. My article clarifies what kinds of arms transfers SIPRI measures and how it measures those transfers of major conventional weapons. I conclude by highlighting a few trends relevant to Europe, focusing on the largest importers and exporters and their respective suppliers and recipients.
The article was published in Europäische Sicherheit & Technik 06/2024, pp. 59-62.