Discussions on the impact of the manufacturing base on the arms trade have primarily been based on case studies and focused on major global arms suppliers. In this study, we argue that a solid manufacturing base is a balanced ecosystem providing a suitable environment for the development of the defence industry. We use the random-effects Tobit model to examine four emerging (Brazil, India, South Korea and Turkey) and six established (Australia, Israel, Japan, Poland, Singapore and Ukraine) arms-producing countries. Our econometric analysis reveals that arms exports are regulated by a country's degree of development; moreover, the development of medium- and high-tech industries is accompanied by timely technical protection rather than arms exports. Finally, developing countries' main obstacles to exporting arms are basic technology, an industrial-related system, and a weak capacity for industrial technological innovation.