U.S. military equipment sales to foreign governments in 2024 surged 29% to a record $318.7 billion, the State Department said on Friday, as countries sought to replenish stocks sent to Ukraine and prepare for major conflicts.

The State Department described arms sales and transfers as "important U.S. foreign policy tools with potential long-term implications for regional and global security."

Sales of US military equipment to foreign countries in fiscal year 2024 (which ended on 31 September) reached a record US$318.7 billion amid Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Source: data from the US Department of State;