Countries Selling the Most Weapons to the United States Military

The Trump administration, earlier this year, requested a 13% increase to the U.S. defense budget for fiscal 2026. If approved, 2026 will be the first year in history when military spending tops $1 trillion in the United States—or any other country, for that matter. The U.S. defense budget has long been the largest in the world, and as of 2024, American military spending topped $900 billion, triple the defense budget of China, the country with the world’s second largest defense budget.

The U.S. Department of Defense relies heavily on private sector contractors for a wide range of military services and products, including research and development and weapons production. Given the size of the Pentagon’s budget, it is perhaps not surprising that national security concerns have given rise to a massive private sector defense industry. With the DOD spending hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars with private companies every year, the United States is home to 41 of the world’s 100 largest defense contractors, as measured by annual arms sale revenue, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. These companies include each of the five largest defense contractors in the world: Lockheed Martin, RTX, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, and General Dynamics. (Here is a look at the largest companies arming the world’s militaries.)

America’s flourishing private sector defense industry supplies the U.S. with the vast majority of its military weapons and technology and also exports products and services to foreign, allied governments. Still, American defense contractors do not have a monopoly on the industry, and partially as a result, a small portion of U.S. military assets are imported from abroad. According to SIPRI, the U.S. buys an average of nearly $890 million in weapons from foreign countries every year, and a total of more than $4.4 billion between 2020 and 2024. The bulk of these weapons are delivered from a small handful of countries, most of which are close American allies with similar geopolitical interests.

Using data from SIPRI, 24/7 Wall St. identified the countries selling the most weapons to the United States. Countries are ranked by the total value of weapons they exported to the U.S. over the five-year period from 2020 to 2024. All supplemental data in this story is also from SIRPI. Due to rounding, the figures in this story may not add up to the stated totals.

Among the 15 countries on this list, the total value of weapons exported to the U.S. in the last five years ranges from $13.3 million to nearly $800 million. Many of the countries on this list are close American allies, bound to the U.S. through intelligence sharing, cooperative defense strategies, and common national security interests. These countries not only include nine members of the NATO alliance, but also several U.S. allies in the Middle East and the Pacific region, such as Australia, Israel, and Jordan. (Here is a look at the NATO countries ramping up military spending.)

Many of these countries are also home to major defense contractors — companies that often both compete, and collaborate with U.S.-based companies. For example, seven of the world’s 100 largest defense contractors by total arms sales are headquartered in the United Kingdom, the highest-ranking county on this list. According to SIPRI, these contractors include BAE Systems, a company recently awarded a billion-plus dollar DOD contract for a space-based missile detection system, and Rolls-Royce, the company behind the propulsion systems of multiple American military platforms, including the V-22 Osprey and the C-130J.

These are the countries selling the most weapons to the United States

Why it Matters

America’s unmatched military spending has given rise to the world’s largest private sector defense industry. But even though the U.S. is home to more major military contractors than any other country, the Defense Department still spends hundreds of millions of dollars each year importing weapons from abroad. The countries selling the most weapons to the U.S. are typically close American allies, and they are often also home to some number of major military contractors.

15. Brazil

• Est. weapons transfers to the U.S., 2020-2024: $13.3 million
• Share of all weapons imported to the U.S. sourced from Brazil, 2020-2024: 0.3%
• Top defense contractors in Brazil include: Embraer
• Brazil’s military spending in 2024: $20.9 billion
• Brazil’s military spending as a share of GDP in 2024: 1.0%
• NATO member state?: No

14. South Africa

• Est. weapons transfers to the U.S., 2020-2024: $79.9 million
• Share of all weapons imported to the U.S. sourced from South Africa, 2020-2024: 1.8%
• Top defense contractors in South Africa include: N/A
• South Africa’s military spending in 2024: $2.8 billion
• South Africa’s military spending as a share of GDP in 2024: 0.7%
• NATO member state?: No

13. Australia

• Est. weapons transfers to the U.S., 2020-2024: $88.8 million
• Share of all weapons imported to the U.S. sourced from Australia, 2020-2024: 2.0%
• Top defense contractors in Australia include: Austal
• Australia’s military spending in 2024: $33.8 billion
• Australia’s military spending as a share of GDP in 2024: 1.9%
• NATO member state?: No

12. Canada

• Est. weapons transfers to the U.S., 2020-2024: $97.7 million
• Share of all weapons imported to the U.S. sourced from Canada, 2020-2024: 2.2%
• Top defense contractors in Canada include: CAE
• Canada’s military spending in 2024: $29.3 billion
• Canada’s military spending as a share of GDP in 2024: 1.3%
• NATO member state?: Yes

11. Singapore

• Est. weapons transfers to the U.S., 2020-2024: $97.7 million
• Share of all weapons imported to the U.S. sourced from Singapore, 2020-2024: 2.2%
• Top defense contractors in Singapore include: ST Engineering
• Singapore’s military spending in 2024: $15.1 billion
• Singapore’s military spending as a share of GDP in 2024: 2.8%
• NATO member state?: No

10. Spain

• Est. weapons transfers to the U.S., 2020-2024: $182.0 million
• Share of all weapons imported to the U.S. sourced from Spain, 2020-2024: 4.1%
• Top defense contractors in Spain include: Navantia
• Spain’s military spending in 2024: $24.6 billion
• Spain’s military spending as a share of GDP in 2024: 1.4%
• NATO member state?: Yes

9. Jordan

• Est. weapons transfers to the U.S., 2020-2024: $182.0 million
• Share of all weapons imported to the U.S. sourced from Jordan, 2020-2024: 4.1%
• Top defense contractors in Jordan include: N/A
• Jordan’s military spending in 2024: $2.6 billion
• Jordan’s military spending as a share of GDP in 2024: 4.8%
• NATO member state?: No

8. Sweden

• Est. weapons transfers to the U.S., 2020-2024: $195.3 million
• Share of all weapons imported to the U.S. sourced from Sweden, 2020-2024: 4.4%
• Top defense contractors in Sweden include: Saab
• Sweden’s military spending in 2024: $12.0 billion
• Sweden’s military spending as a share of GDP in 2024: 2.0%
• NATO member state?: Yes

7. Germany

• Est. weapons transfers to the U.S., 2020-2024: $266.3 million
• Share of all weapons imported to the U.S. sourced from Germany, 2020-2024: 6.0%
• Top defense contractors in Germany include: Rheinmetall, ThyssenKrupp, Hensoldt, Diehl
• Germany’s military spending in 2024: $88.5 billion
• Germany’s military spending as a share of GDP in 2024: 1.9%
• NATO member state?: Yes

6. Norway

• Est. weapons transfers to the U.S., 2020-2024: $319.6 million
• Share of all weapons imported to the U.S. sourced from Norway, 2020-2024: 7.2%
• Top defense contractors in Norway include: Kongsberg Gruppen
• Norway’s military spending in 2024: $10.4 billion
• Norway’s military spending as a share of GDP in 2024: 2.1%
• NATO member state?: Yes

5. Netherlands

• Est. weapons transfers to the U.S., 2020-2024: $403.9 million
• Share of all weapons imported to the U.S. sourced from Netherlands, 2020-2024: 9.1%
• Top defense contractors in Netherlands include: N/A
• Netherlands’ military spending in 2024: $23.2 billion
• Netherlands’ military spending as a share of GDP in 2024: 1.9%
• NATO member state?: Yes

4. Italy

• Est. weapons transfers to the U.S., 2020-2024: $488.3 million
• Share of all weapons imported to the U.S. sourced from Italy, 2020-2024: 11.0%
• Top defense contractors in Italy include: Leonardo, Fincantieri
• Italy’s military spending in 2024: $38.0 billion
• Italy’s military spending as a share of GDP in 2024: 1.6%
• NATO member state?: Yes

3. Israel

• Est. weapons transfers to the U.S., 2020-2024: $577.1 million
• Share of all weapons imported to the U.S. sourced from Israel, 2020-2024: 13.0%
• Top defense contractors in Israel include: Elbit Systems, Israel Aerospace Industries, Rafael
• Israel’s military spending in 2024: $46.5 billion
• Israel’s military spending as a share of GDP in 2024: 8.8%
• NATO member state?: No

2. France

• Est. weapons transfers to the U.S., 2020-2024: $665.9 million
• Share of all weapons imported to the U.S. sourced from France, 2020-2024: 15.0%
• Top defense contractors in France include: Thales, Naval Group, Safran, Dassault Aviation Group, CEA
• France’s military spending in 2024: $64.7 billion
• France’s military spending as a share of GDP in 2024: 2.1%
• NATO member state?: Yes

1. United Kingdom

• Est. weapons transfers to the U.S., 2020-2024: $799.0 million
• Share of all weapons imported to the U.S. sourced from United Kingdom, 2020-2024: 18.0%
• Top defense contractors in United Kingdom include: BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce, Babcock International Group, Serco Group, Atomic Weapons Establishment, QinetiQ, Melrose Industries
• United Kingdom’s military spending in 2024: $81.8 billion
• United Kingdom’s military spending as a share of GDP in 2024: 2.3%
• NATO member state?: Yes

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