A possible solution to the critical condition of Poland's arms industry is increased exports. A 1992 study rated Poland twentieth in world arms exports in the period 1985-91, with an estimated total export value of more than US$1.6 billion. Between 60 and 70 percent of Poland's arms exports involved servicing and spare parts. At that point, three large companies--Bumar Labedy, Cenzin, and Cenrex--had government licenses for arms export, as did fifty small firms. In the transition period, regulations governing arms export were often murky, leading to a series of scandals when the extralegal activities of Polish exporters were disclosed. In 1991 high-ranking defense officials were arrested for selling US$96 million worth of arms to Iraq, and a number of smaller export deals were uncovered.
Data as of October 1992