News - World: The conflict between Ukraine and Russia has boosted sales of US arms manufacturers, making them the biggest winners in the otherwise catastrophic situation.

Kiev's Western allies pledged to equip Ukraine with some of the advanced weapons Kiev has longed for, including a variety of light and heavy guns, armored military vehicles and advanced rocket systems.

The US alone has already provided $4.6 billion in military aid to the Kiev government since Russia launched its "special military operation" in February 2022. 

The weapons committed by the US include 108 155mm howitzers, 90 vehicles to tow them, 220,000 rounds of 155mm artillery, and 121 "Phoenix Ghost" tactical drones recently developed by the US Air Force specifically to address Ukraine's needs.

The US has also pledged 20 Mi-17 helicopters, 200 armored personnel carriers, 1,400 Stinger anti-aircraft systems, over 6,500 Javelin anti-tank missiles, several thousand rifles with ammunition and a range of other equipment.

The UK, the EU and NATO states including Turkey have also provided weapons for the Kiev forces fighting Russian troops operating in Ukraine's eastern region.

In the meantime, the increased demand for weapons has resulted in an increase in orders to arms companies.

The world's biggest arms manufacturer, US-based Lockheed Martin Corporation, reported in April that Russian forces' operation in Ukraine has "boosted demand" for its missile defense systems.

"We've got demand signals for THAAD and PAC-3 from around the world," Lockheed's chief executive Jim Taiclet reported last month.

Source:Press TV