Arms Merchants’ Boon Day

Arms merchants are super-happy with a boon day while a NATO proxy—the ruling regime in Kiev—is playing a bloody game of war in Ukraine.

It began with “solidarity” play since the conflict formally began: NATO players began supplying arms and ammunitions to the Ukraine Government.

This is a nice chance for depleting old arms and ammunitions, and for testing the new. Depleted stocks are to be replenished with new arms and munitions. That’s a new procurement drive. That means a good day for the arms traders. Weeks ago, Canada said: Arms stock was zero as the Kiev regime was bolstered with supplies; so, procurement would be made.

The “solidarity” move was accompanied by newly gained “realisation” of the NATO players and their friends: Existing armaments are not enough to deter an assumed enemy; therefore, indulge with arms purchase. The eager arms consumers spanned from Europe to Asia to Australia to North America.

It’s now found:

Japan plans to boost its defence spending although it’s having a war-renouncing constitution.

Germany is considering procuring missile defence system from the US or Israel while increasing defence spending. The European economic power has already decided to increase its defence spending by pumping $110 billion. Moreover, the economy will invest 20 billion euro by 2032 to replenish its ammunition shortage. The European power house plans to replace some of its aging Tornado bomber jets with US-made F-35A Lightning II aircraft capable of carrying nuclear weapons.

Germany plans to supply Slovakia with Patriot air-defence capabilities.

Australia has hastened its plan to procure long-range strike missiles three years ahead of schedule. Its warships will be re-armed with Norwegian-made NSM missiles and US-made air-to-surface missiles. The cost is $2.6 billion.

The US president has requested a record peacetime national defence budget with priority on ballistic missile submarines, bombers and land-based missiles.

The US has authorised sales of war planes, missiles, sensors and replacement parts to Bulgaria. The price tag is more than $1.6 billion. It’s going to be Bulgaria’s largest arms purchase since the dissolution of the USSR.

US sales of fighter planes to Europe have increased.

Canada will continue to increase its defence spending, said the North American country’s PM.

Italy plans to raise its defence spending to 2% of its GDP. Its current defence spending is 1.4% of its national output. Italy’s military spending from 2008 to 2018 was $21 billion to $23 billion. By the end of 2021, it increased by 17%.

Ukraine is planning to increase its War Bond, a programme to raise money for war spending. Its aim is to raise $1.36 billion through domestic sources. It also plans to move to international market.

Poland plans to buy US drones, and other military materials.

Estonia has approved a $523 million defence spending hike. The additional funds will raise the country’s “defence spending over 2.5% of [the country’s] GDP.”

NATO troops took part in Exercise Cold Response, the largest NATO exercise in Norway in 30 years. It’s a major demonstration of NATO’s strength in the Arctic region.

The US, UK and Australia are going to conclude a new security pact. Similar arms-businesses are many.
Consequently, traders with war and arms are going strong. So goes Lockheed Martin (LM), Raytheon, Israel Aerospace Industries, and a few more.

Their stock prices are rising. LM’s stock prices surged 25% since beginning of 2022, and Raytheon’s 17%.

Alessandro Profumo, Chief Executive of Italian defence group Leonardo, said: A potential increase in military spending could add to growth estimates released last month by Leonardo. “We already have a very important growth plan”, Profumo said when asked how a potential increase in military spending could change the group's estimates. Leonardo said in March its free cash flow would be more than double this year compared with 2021. Profumo said he expected NATO countries to ramp up military spending to reach 2% of GDP over time.

Raytheon’s CEO expressed expectation: Opportunities for international sales.

With increased conflict and military spending, said an Allied Market Research report, the global market for nuclear missiles and bombs would surpass $126 billion within 10 years. It would be about 73% from 2020 level.

There’s more info on arms-war-profit. The deeper one looks at this world of war the more facts of profit from war and war-like situation, facts of profiteering by arms traders, essentially war traders, will find. This is part of the imperialist global order.

April 6, 2022

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Frontier
Vol 54, No. 43, April 24 - 30, 2022