WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The US-led war against the Islamic State is unlikely to spur a defense spending boom in the Middle East, but arms purchases will continue to increase as countries change their strategic posture, defense analysts told Sputnik on Tuesday.
Finnegan explained that combatting the Islamic State may require purchasing additional ordinance such as smart bombs, but such acquisitions will not lead to a purchasing boom of other equipment.
“In terms of a boom in other systems, it is not there,” Finnegan stated.
Middle Eastern states led by Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries have been on a weapons buying binge, increasing purchases by 25 percent between 2005-2009 and 2010-14, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.
IHS Jane’s Senior Analyst of Defense Procurement Ben Moores told Sputnik.
Moores noted that Iran is also a factor in Gulf Arab states’ arms purchases, especially purchases of more advanced ballistic missile defense systems.
“Defense spending in the region is rising very fast, but that is not really directly linked to the Islamic State,” Moores said. “If anything, new defense acquisitions will go down because funds are diverted to operational expenditures and support for existing equipment.”
Moores argued it is more likely that “the types of new equipment acquired are different.”
Demand is also rising for security perimeter equipment and satellite and airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems, he added.
The US-led coalition against the Islamic State has carried out more than 5,600 airstrikes against the terrorist group since August 2014 using fighter jets and armed drones.
The United States used the F-22 fifth-generation aircraft for the first time during the campaign to launch precision guided airstrikes on Islamic State targets.
