STOCKHOLM, March 16 -- The United States has taken a firm lead as the major arms exporter globally, according to a report released on Monday by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

The volume of U.S. exports of major weapons rose by 23 percent between the 2005-2009 period and the 2010-2014 period, with the country's share of international arms exports reaching 31 percent in the 2010-2014 period, according to the report.

"The USA has long seen arms exports as a major foreign policy and security tool, but in recent years exports are increasingly needed to help the U.S. arms industry maintain production levels at a time of decreasing U.S. military expenditure," Aude Fleurant, Director of the SIPRI Arms and Military Expenditure Program, was quoted as saying.

The report also says that Russian exports of major weapons increased by 37 percent between the 2005-2009 period and the 2010-2014 period, and that Russia's share of international arms exports was 27 percent in the 2010-2014 period.

Overall, the volume of international transfers of major conventional weapons grew by 16 percent between the 2005-2009 and the 2010-2014 periods, according to the report.

Headquartered in Stockholm, SIPRI's researches cover international conflicts, armaments, arms control and disarmament.