Some countries like the United States are leading the world in the supply of war supplies. Five of the biggest arms industries are located in the US. Of the total export of military supplies, 34% are exported by the US, making it the largest producer and exporter of weapons in the world. Most of the weapon exports from the US go to middle-east. Middle-east accounts for 49% of the total exports of the country.
SIPRI Arms Industry database gives the facts and figures about the top 100 weapon and arms-producing companies in the world. Forty-two largest companies are mentioned in the fact book are from the US. The country has increased the production of arms by 2 percent as compared to the facts and figures of 2016.
What companies make most military weapons?
Following are some of the companies that produce the most guns in the world. Among the top arms-producing companies, five companies are from the United States. Lockheed Martin biggest weapon manufacturer in the world, making a total sales revenue of 44.92 billion US dollars.
Sr. No | Company | Country | Total Sales |
1 | Lockheed Martin | United States | $ 44.92bn |
2 | BOENG | United States | $ 26.93bn |
3 | Raytheon | United States | $ 23.87bn |
4 | BAE Systems | United Kingdom | $ 22.94bn |
5 | Northrop Grumman | United States | $ 22.37bn |
6 | General Dynamics | United States | $ 19.46bn |
7 | Airbus | Europe | $ 11.49bn |
8 | THALES | France | $ 9.00bn |
9 | Leonardo | Italy | $ 8.86bn |
10 | Almaz–Antey Corp. | Russian | $ 8.57bn |
Lockheed Martin Weapon Manufacturer
Lockheed Martin stands on top of the list of arms companies with the highest revenue. With total revenue of 44.92 billion dollars, the company has its roots with the government of US. The headquarters of Lockheed Martin is located in Bethesda, Maryland. Through the purchase of Sikorsky, it boosted the production of F-35 Lightning II combat aircraft. This played a significant role in its success. It is also known to be the largest government contractors in the US. The primary production of Lockheed is Trident Missile, F-22, and F-16. These aircraft and missiles are imported by several countries of the world. This in terms, puts the US on top of the list in the export of arms and weapons.
Contracts with US Government:

Aeronautics and Fire Control, Rotary and Mission System and Space systems are the key departments of the company. In 2008, Lockheed made 36 billion dollars entirely through its contracts with the government. It also has its connection with some of the largest organizations in the United States. These include FBI, CIA, NSA, The Pentagon, and IRS. United States Air Force gave a contract to Lockheed for producing two satellites for advanced military communications. Some other departments also have affiliations with the company. They include the Department of Agriculture, Department of Energy, Department of Defense and the Environmental Protection Agency.
BOEING: The second largest Weapon Producer:
Boeing is an aircraft producing company located in the United States. The headquarters of Boeing is located in Chicago, Illinois. Manufacturing of missiles, airplanes, rockets, rotorcrafts, and satellites are its specialty. It produces and sells arms worldwide. The total revenue of the company was 26.93 billion dollars from 2013-17.
Back in 2010, Boeing purchased Hughes Space and Communications Company. The reason behind the purchase was the intention of Boeing wanted to make its position in the field of aerospace. Later on, in 2011, the headquarters were shifted from Seattle to Chicago.
Overview of the Year 2018
The company achieved many milestones in 2018. The final assembly of Boeing 777X was started in 2018. The very first delivery of 787-10 Dreamliner was also done this year. Adding to that 737 Max 7 also got its rollout and first flight. Boeing also won Robert W. Campbell Award for workplace EHS excellence. 10,000th 737 was also built, making Guinness World Record. The company also sponsored the Invictus Games 2018.
Raytheon is The Third Largest Arms Producer:

Raytheon is one of the prominent weapon manufacturing companies in the world. It is also a US based company with its headquarters in Massachusetts. It is known to be one of the major defense contractors in the US. It produced a total revenue of 23.87 billion dollars by selling weapons and other military equipment. The primary production of the company includes missiles and weaponry systems for aircraft and naval vessels.
BAE Systems Arms Manufacturing Company
BAE is one of the best arms producing company in the world. It is the best company in the United Kingdom. The company has a workforce of more than 83,200 people and operates in 40 countries all over the world. The major operations of BAE Systems are performed in UK, US, Saudi Arabia, India, and Australia.
The headquarters are located in London. The company manufactures Defense electronics, Naval Vessels, Land Warfare Systems, Civil and Military Aerospace. It generated an impressive revenue of 22.94 billion US dollars. An agreement was signed between BAE and TAI which was worth £100 million. Through this agreement, BAE agreed to provide assistance for the production of TAI TFX aircraft. BAE is also involved in the production of F-35 Lightning II. It is one of the major partners in the production of this remarkable aircraft. Typhoon fighter and Tornado fighter-bomber are the major products of BAE Systems.
Northrop Grumman: Generated Revenue 22.37bn
Another company from the US named Northrop Grumman secured 5th rank on the list. The headquarters of Northrop Grumman is located in Virginia. Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider (LRS-B) is in production. It is a stealth heavy bomber and is expected to launch in 2023. You might be wondering What companies make most military weapons? The primary business areas of the company include military aircraft & unmanned aerial vehicles, military vessels, missiles, Autocannons & Munitions, Satellite & Space, Electronic Sensors & Systems and Rocket launch systems. Back in 2002, the company was named as the Forbes Company of the Year. Back then, Forbes stated that the company masters the art of innovation. As per the user rankings, the company ranked on the first rank in “The Best Companies to Work for in the United States.”
Which country is the world’s top supplier of weapons?
The United States simply stands on top of the list in the production of weapons. The arms export share of US was 34% from 2013 to 17.
Sr. No. | Country | Share of Arms Exports (Percentage) 2013-2017 |
1 | United States | 34 % |
2 | Russia | 22 % |
3 | France | 6.7 % |
4 | Germany | 5.8 % |
5 | China | 5.7 % |
6 | United Kingdom | 4.8 % |
7 | Spain | 2.9 % |
8 | Israel | 2.9 % |
9 | Italy | 2.5 % |
10 | Netherlands | 2.1 % |
11 | Ukraine | 1.7 % |
12 | South Korea | 1.2 % |
13 | Switzerland | 0.9 % |
14 | Sweden | 0.9 % |
15 | Turkey | 0.8 % |
16 | Canada | 0.8 % |
17 | Norway | 0.6 % |
18 | Belarus | 0.4 % |
19 | Australia | 0.3 % |
20 | Czech Republic | 0.3 % |
Largest Weapon Supplier in the World
In case you’re wondering who is the number 1 exporter in the world. Among the world’s largest arms exporters 2017, United States is on the first rank. The US has some of the best arms manufacturing companies. If we compare the US to other countries, it is the largest exporter of weapons. 34% of the total arms exports worldwide, were from the United States. Middle-East is the largest importer of weapons and military equipment from the country. The major import clients are Saudi Arabia, Australia, and UAE. 18% of the exports go to Saudi Arabia.
Middle East accounts for about 49% of the US exports of weapons. 11% of the supplies go to Europe. Asia and Oceania bought 33% of the arms supplies from the United States. Africa took the least amounts. They make up to 2.2% of the supplies.
Which country is the world’s top supplier of weapons?
What companies make most military weapons?
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