Defence Industrial Globalisation — the ‘Hidden Hand of Government’

Abstract

The North Atlantic area is experiencing a second defence industrial revolution. The first was a result of the general industrial revolution that began in the late 18th century. By the late 19th century, the development of mass-manufacturing and the acceleration in the rate of technological change had effected a transformation in the nature of armaments and their supply. These changes created the conditions for the ‘nationalisation’ of defence industrial activity and the development of a close, even symbiotic relationship between the state and a number of specialist defence manufacturers. This relationship was confirmed and deepened by the experience of 20th century total warfare and the post-1945 Cold War arms race.