Ron Matthews

Offset to decline for Britain's defence‐industrial base?

‘While the global arms trade declines the number of Third World arms producers and exporters is on the increase. Dr Ron Matthews looks at the competition facing major arms exporters and at the implications for military technology transfer (offsets), focusing on its role in a buyers market.

Greek‐Turkish tensions fuel defence industrialization

The chronically tense relations, between Greece and Turkey, both NATO members, has put a spanner in the works for NATOs unity and cooperation as the Alliance celebrates its 50th anniversary. The tension has fuelled defence industrialisation in both countries. At a time when the majority of countries are scaling dawn their military expenditure the Greeks and the Turks are therefore increasing their military budgets. In this article, Dr Ron Matthews, after giving an account of the strategic context, gives an outline of the levels of expenditure being pursued by the two countries. A primary thrust for future procurement will, for both countries, be to reduce dependency on foreign arms suppliers as they are building up their own defence capability. Dr Matthews concludes that while the increased emphasis on creating and developing a domestic defence industry will be beneficial for domestic employment, the policy pursued will have the effect that external arms embargoes will have limited effect.

The militarisation of Asia

In this article, Ron Matthews divides the key issues behind Asias insecurity into three separate areas for discussion. Firstly, he provides evidence of an Asian arms build‐up which has been escalating since the end of the Cold War and the break‐up of the Soviet Union. Secondly is a review of Asias strategic flash‐points paying particular attention to the simmering territorial disputes in the South China Sea centred around the Spratly Islands. Finally, the menacing proliferation of nuclear weapons in Asia is considered.

European Collaboration in the Development of New Weapon Systems

The purpose of this chapter is threefold: firstly, to offer a historical profile of Europe’s arms industrial collaborative experience; secondly, to evaluate the process and impact of major European collaborative programs, especially with regard to research and development (RD and, thirdly, to explore the contemporary status of collaborative effort in the light of recent EU policy initiatives, including the 2009 European Procurement Directive and the contemporary pressures and challenges that have forged the shape and direction of the EU’s Horizon 2020 Defence Research Programme. In this regard, the Commission’s underlying thematic is to evolve the European defense industrial base into a single common entity. Arms collaboration is viewed as a transformative device in this process, promoting cross-border engagement, enhancing military-related standardization and fostering economies of scale and industrial and technological rationalization. The chapter will analyze progress toward these goals, advancing our understanding of the topic through empirical assessment of the collaborative model’s contribution to the sustainability and enhancement of European defense R&D in a post-BREXIT environment.