Suchergebnisse

The acquisition and procurement of major weapons systems is fraught with difficulties. They tend to be delivered late, over budget and unable to meet requirements. This Element provides an economic analysis of why this happens. Market structure, demand by the military and supply by the arms firms, shapes the conduct of the agents and generates the poor performance observed. The military are trying to counter an evolving threat, subject to a budget constraint, high R&D costs and new technologies. The interaction between a government made up of warring tribes and arms firms with considerable market and political power is further complicated by a set of what economists call 'principal-agent' problems, which are examined. While the poor performance has prompted many countries to propose reforms, the difficulty of the task and the institutional incentives faced by the actors mean that the reforms rarely solve the problem.

"Military power needs to be financed and economic development is often shaped by military conflict, thus the interaction of military and economy, power and money is central to the modern world. This book provides an accessible introduction to the economics of the use of organised force, with a wide range of historical and current examples"--Provided by publisher

Military power needs to be financed and economic development is often shaped by military conflict, thus the interaction of military and economy, power and money is central to the modern world. This book provides an accessible introduction to the economics of the use of organized force, with a wide range of historical and current examples.

The recent growth in international tension has been associated with countries either increasing their military spending or discussing such increases—consequently, defense budgeting has attracted increased attention. This article reviews the U.K. defense budget in an historical context. It sets out the position in mid-2024 when the newly elected Labour Government commissioned a Strategic Defence Review. It summarizes the planning process and the government's budget constraints; considers the issues involved in measuring the defense budget and making international comparisons; reviews trends in the defense budget; and the choices that need to be made between spending on personnel, conventional equipment, and nuclear weapons.

Reductions in military expenditure will generate pressures to restructure the defense industry. This article explores the implications of a more peaceful evolution of military expenditure for the economic structure of this industry. For example, since military expenditure and defense industry concentration have moved in opposite directions in the past, future cuts in such spending might be expected to lead to a more concentrated industry. Although eventually thwarted in 2012, the proposed merger of defense industry giants BAE and EADS – which would have created the world's largest defense firm – is discussed in some detail as a potential harbinger of defense consolidation to come.

International audience ; France and the United Kingdom are in a similar geostrategic context. Both countries give military defence a much higher priority than their European partners. This is reflected in their respective defence budgets and research efforts and in the possession of a nuclear deterrent and projection capability. There is strong pressure to reduce these capabilities. Both Paris and London will have to make difficult choices. The time for these choices could be delayed by the cooperation begun in 2010. But if strategic and financial considerations favour it, the political conditions do not and it does not seem possible to be optimistic in this matter. ; La France et le Royaume-Uni se trouvent dans un contexte géostratégique similaire. Les deux pays accordent à la défense militaire une place nettement supérieure à celle que lui font leurs partenaires européens. Cela se traduit dans les budgets de défense comme dans leurs efforts respectifs de recherche et par la possession de la dissuasion nucléaire et d'une capacité de projection. De fortes pressions s'exercent dans le sens de la réduction de ces capacités. Paris comme Londres devront faire des choix difficiles. L'heure de ces choix pourrait être retardée par la coopération entamée en 2010. Mais si des considérations stratégiques et financières la favorisent, les conditions politiques ne le font pas et il ne paraît pas possible d'être optimiste en la matière.

International audience ; The interactions between economics and security are complicated because economics and politics each have distinct logics, with different dynamics operating at independent speeds. The credit crisis is having a significant time-dependent impact on international security. States are forced to run budget deficits to maintain the balance of the financial system, while at the same time addressing oil and environmental issues. The alternative to global organisation by a dominant power is the creation of international public or non-governmental institutions. The moral imperative to maintain peace may be universally accepted, but a country's decision to participate is also based on national interest and the geostrategic dimension. The main strategic danger is that politicians, still preoccupied with national budgetary and financial crises, do not respond to potentially explosive international issues with the necessary speed and interest. ; Les interactions entre l'économie et la sécurité sont compliquées parce que l'économie et la politique ont chacune des logiques distinctes, avec des dynamiques différentes opérant à des vitesses indépendantes. La crise du crédit exerce des effets importants dé »calés dans le temps sur la sécurité internationale. Les Etats sont contraints d'engager un déficit budgétaire pour maintenir l'équilibre du système financier, tout en s'interrogeant sur les questions pétrolières et environnementales. L'alternative à l'organisation mondiale par une puissance dominante réside dans la création d'institutions internationales publiques ou non gouvernementales. L'impératif moral pour le maintien de la paix peut être universellement accepté mais la décision d'un pays de participer est aussi basée sur l'intérêt national et sur la dimension géostratégique. Le principal danger stratégique réside sans le fait que les hommes politiques, toujours préoccupés par les crises budgétaires et financières nationales, ne répondent pas aux questions internationales potentiellement explosives ...