Even though the drone business is booming, it only accounts for 0.3 percent of the global arms trade. Between 2010 and 2014, 35 different countries across the world imported UAV systems, with the total number of drones shipped reaching 439. A mere 11 of those were armed.
The 11 armed UAVs were exported by the U.S. and China - the U.S. supplied six MQ-9 Reapers to the United Kingdom for use in Afghanistan while China exported the other five to Nigeria to boost its efforts fighting Boko-Haram. The market for armed drones is set to increase in size after the U.S. recently announced it will begin selling armed Predator and Reaper drones to more friendly and allied nations. Previously, Britain was the only country permitted to purchase U.S. supplied unmanned aircraft capable of carrying weapons, and over the past five years, it has become the world's largest drone importer.
Britain accounted for 34 percent of UAVs imported between 2010 and 2014. In addition to those six armed Reapers, the UK also took delivery of 55 drones from Israel. Since 1985, Israel has exported the majority of unmanned aircraft worldwide, some 60.7 percent of the world total, ahead of the United States who have 23.9 percent of the market. In terms of importers, India comes a distant second to the U.K. accounting for 13.2 percent of imports between 2010 and 2014. Italy comes in third, taking delivery of 9.8 percent of the 439 systems transferred during the same time period.
*Click below to enlarge (charted by Statista)
