China Overtakes France in Arms Export After Paris Failed With Mistral Deal

France lost its position as arms exporter, after it failed to deliver two Mistral-class ships to Russia at the end of 2014. Now, China has overtaken France and became the third largest arms exporter.

After France failed to keep its promises and deliver Mistral ships to Russia last year, China has overtaken France and became the third largest arms exporter, according to a study conducted by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

The study revealed that France would have been on the third place ahead of China and Germany, if at the end of 2014 the country delivered two Mistral ships to Russia, as it had promised to do under a $1.5 billion worth deal in 2011.

Over the last decade, China increased its arms export by 143 percent, which allowed the country to become the third largest arms supplier, ahead of France, Germany and Britain.

The United States remains the largest supplier of arms with 31 percent of all global arms export. The second place belongs to Russia with 27 percent of arms export.

In 2011, France agreed to deliver two Mistral-class ships to Russia under a $1.5 billion deal. One of the two ships, Vladivostok, was supposed to be delivered in November 2014. However, French President Francois Hollande decided to suspend the Mistral delivery due to Russia’s alleged interference in the Ukrainian crisis.

The Mistral-Class Helicopter Carrier