The U.S. State Department has approved an export order for the Patriot-3 missile system from Poland, worth $10.5 billion. That dwarfs the $1.5 billion of total orders approved for Poland since 2010, and brings the total export approvals for the U.S. to $61.8 billion, Panjiva analysis of official data shows.

For comparison at the same time last year approved orders reached $50.6 billion, and were $63.0 billion for the year overall. Further orders that may materialize shortly could come from Japan and South Korea, following President Trump’s visit to the region as outlined in Panjiva research of November 14.

Chart segments arms exports sales approved by the U.S. State Department according to system type. Calculations based on Defense Security Cooperation Agency data. Source: Panjiva

The 24.5% rise in orders year-to-date should help turn around total exports which fell 9.8% on a year earlier in the first nine months of 2017. That’s mostly been due to the exports of military jets – Panjiva data shows these fell 32.6% over the same period – whereas shipments of weapons systems and vehicles actually increased by 6.8%. On a trailing 12 month basis exports of weapons reached their highest since at least 2009. It should be noted though that most of the major orders signed are delivered over years rather than months.

Chart compares monthly U.S. exports of arms and military vehicles to military aircraft on monthly (dotted) and 12 month trailing average (solid line). Source: Panjiva