Improved Defense through Equipment Upgrades: The U.S. and Its Security Partners.
Abstract
Continuing increases in the enemy threat have maintained pressure on the United States to improve our weapons inventory. But the growth of weapon system costs, coupled with defense budget limitations, makes it difficult to achieve the necessary improvements by acquiring new weapons systems. As a consequence, upgrading equipment must play an increasingly important role in U.S. force modernization. Upgrading--substituting or adding substances on an existing platform-- has the additional advantage of providing a mechanism for rapidly introducing technological advances into the operational inventory. The factors that dictate increased U.S. attention to upgrades apply even more severely resource constrained than the United States. By pursuing an aggressive upgrade program to increase the military capability of these nations, the United States decreases the chances of having to commit U.S. forces in regional conflicts. The study addressed a broad range of issues, but focused on two basic questions: How adequate are the current approaches to creating and maintaining upgrade options? How effective are existing concepts and procedures for coordinating the force modernization decisions of the United States and it security partners?
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 1984
- Accession Number
- ADA151862
Entities
Organizations
- Defense Science Board