‘I have seen the future and it works’: The US defence industry transformation – lessons for the UK defence industrial base |
| |
Authors: | KEITH HAYWARD |
| |
Institution: | 1. Department of Political Science , Midwestern State University , 3410 Taft Boulevard, Wichita Falls, TX 76308‐2099, USA steve.garrison@mwsu.edu |
| |
Abstract: | The US has embarked upon a major transformation of its approach to defence industrial base planning. Although bureaucratic and industrial inertia, as well as budgetary constraints, may delay transformation, its effects will lead to radical changes in the US defence industrial base with new entrants and new combinations of players. The UK, with more modest defence ambitions, capabilities and budget, will seek to keep in touch with the US. However, a commercially‐led drive to embed UK industry even more deeply in the US defence market could be the last step in creating a largely US–UK North Atlantic relationship, with much of Europe very much a subsidiary business concern. This contains a risk that the UK will become increasingly dependent on the US for design and integration of major systems and national defence industrial capability focused on a limited number of niche technologies. |
| |
Keywords: | Defence acquisition Defence industry base Transformation UK Ministry of Defence US Department of Defense |
|
|