British Weapons Acquisition Policy and the Futility of ReformOriginally published in 2004. This incisive work reveals the causes of escalating costs and delays in British defence procurement from 1945 to the present. Tackling a complex subject in a straightforward and readable manner, it considers how successive British governments reacted to this problem, why they adopted the reforms they did and why these reforms failed to have any meaningful effect on the operation of this process. The study draws upon a number of disciplines such as economics, politics and science and engineering to provide a broad synthesis that allows the reader to understand the technicalities of the process. The conclusion reached is that there is no apparent solution to the problem of intergenerational costs of weapons, but that a key to controlling the growing cost of projects during their development lies in the construction of a more effective research and development strategy, a path followed by Margaret Thatcher's predecessors and one that is also being advocated today. |
Other editions - View all
British Weapons Acquisition Policy and the Futility of Reform Warren A. Chin No preview available - 2019 |
British Weapons Acquisition Policy and the Futility of Reform WARREN A. CHIN No preview available - 2021 |
Common terms and phrases
2nd Report 3rd Report achieve aerospace aircraft industry ASRAAM aviation British defence procurement British government capability cent civil Cmnd Cold War collaboration commercial commitment cost escalation decision defence budget Defence Committee defence contractors Defence Estimates defence industrial base defence market Defence Policy defence procurement process defence R&D defence research Defence Review economic escalation and delay expenditure export Ferranti fighter firm fixed price contracts HCDC helicopter Heseltine HMSO Ibid important increased industrial concentration international competition London major equipment projects Major Projects Report manufacture Mergers Commission Michael Heseltine military million missile MoD's Nimrod Official Report Organisation paras Peter Levene Plessey political problems programme reforms result significant Sir John Nott Statement Strategic Defence Review strategy tank technical Thatcher government Thatcher government's Trafalgar class submarines Type 23 frigates UK defence market value for money VSEL weapons acquisition