Obama focus on conditions may buoy U.S. arms exports

The Obama administration\'s focus on building coalitions may spur more global arms sales for the world\'s leading weapons exporter, a welcome prospect for U.S. defence contractors facing a shirking defence budget at home, according to a report by Andrea Shalal-Esa of The Washington Post.



The global recession may dampen or delay the foreign appetite for weapons orders somewhat, but many countries\' arsenals are in urgent need of modernization.



Even tough economic times, countries generally view defence accounts as a top priority, particularly given mounting concerns about enemy missile attacks and other threats, said Eric Edelman, who served as under-secretary of defence for policy during the Bush administration.



Eldelman, a former U.S. ambassador to Turkey and Finland, said demand would likely remain high for cutting-edge U.S. products such as precision munitions, unmanned aerial vechicles and missile defense capabilities. U.S. defence cuts announced by Defense Secretary Robert Gates in April are also spurring American companies to pursue foreign orders more aggressively, he said.



Competitors



U.S. companies are already vying for huge fighter and helicopter orders from India, helicopter work in Australia and shipbuilding work for Saudi Arabia and others.



Exports should also be buoyed as orders materialize from Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, Canada, Australia, Denmark and Norway -- the partner countries helping to develop Lockheed Martin Corp\'s F-35 fighter jet. Valued at over $200 billion, the radar-evading jet is the world\'s biggest weapons program.



Israel, Singapore, Japan and Spain were also interested in ordering the fighter, said Marine Corps Brigadier General David Heinz, head of the F-35 program. Work could start on pricing airplanes for Israel by the end of the year, he said.