World-Wide Conventional Arms Trade (1994-2000): A Forecast and Analysis.
Abstract
The end of the Cold War has had a major impact on global trade in conventional armaments, just as it has on most facets of national security and defense. The nature of global demand for arms has shifted from the context of rivalry between superpowers and their associated client states to providing for national defense within the context of regional security needs. While these changes have led to a decline in total global demand for arms, countries continue to seek to acquire substantial amounts of increasingly sophisticated weapons. Ironically, in many respects, the post-Cold War world is more unstable than the Cold War era, and is characterized by increased violence, by increased proliferation of military technology, and by the potential for these trends to continue. In this context, while the nature of the political- military issues that the U.S. and friendly nations now confront has changed, arms exports will continue to be a means of advancing U.S. national security and foreign policy objectives. In addition to these political-military changes, the post-Cold War era has witnessed significant economic changes for the U.S. defense industry, as DoD purchases have sharply declined. Many U.S. defense companies have found that arms exports are an increasingly important component of their total sales and overall financial health. Therefore, some have suggested that arms transfer policy decisions should also take into account the possible impacts of export sales on the ability of industry to support national defense requirements. This has led to various proposals to increase the level and kinds of support that the U.S. government provides to U.S. companies when competing for approved international arms sales. (KAR) P. 3
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1994
- Accession Number
- ADA297008
Entities
People
- Kenneth Flamm
Organizations
- Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition