tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27932062.post4861431301711129357..comments2023-10-10T15:39:35.168+00:00Comments on Centre for European Reform: Britain explores sharing defence equipment with EuropeCentre for European Reformhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06815454225955436329noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27932062.post-90930795776811331992010-04-21T08:13:06.187+00:002010-04-21T08:13:06.187+00:00If delivering useful military capabilities whilst ...If delivering useful military capabilities whilst maximising the effectiveness of military expenditure is the aim the UK will have to be pragmatic. Collaborative opportunities will exist where there are common military capability requirements, common equipment and a shared political vision. Many of these opportunities will exist with European partners. The UK needs to focus on the business case for collaboration not the institutions; remembering that over dependence on the US is unlikely to be a successful strategy for controling procurement costs in the long term.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27932062.post-31340173635718112332010-03-13T16:26:54.482+00:002010-03-13T16:26:54.482+00:00International collaboration on defence equipment i...International collaboration on defence equipment is an area where history shows that theory and reality diverge uncomfortably rapidly. In any collaboration both unity of purpose and focus are needed, and experience indicates that the addition of each new partner nation brings both diminishing returns and added complexity. In many respects France is now the only European nation worth partnering with on big procurement projects, and the problems inherent in multilateral programmes may well see the MoD focussing far more on bilateral collaborations, to the detriment of wider European multilateral cooperation. Moreover, there are signs that even France is assessing that its promotion of European multilateral activity is becoming both increasingly unrealistic and represents a misdirection of effort. After France, it would not be a surprise for the MoD to assess that partnering with like-minded Australia and Canada is more likely to make sense than broader European collaboration. The experience of the European Defence Agency (EDA) in stimulating international collaboration, and of OCCAR in managing it, is not encouraging. In particular the former of these two organisations has yet to attain the necessary confidence of national defence ministries and is unlikely ever to possess the skills needed to make a real strategic impact; it is now widely seen as more of a burden than a help. In an era of increasing budgetary pressure the UK may well decide that leaving the EDA will allow it to focus its collaborative activities more effectively.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27932062.post-75829497328115372892010-03-04T12:22:32.761+00:002010-03-04T12:22:32.761+00:00I am afraid you forgot to mention Italy among the ...I am afraid you forgot to mention Italy among the Eurofighter partners.giovanni brauzzinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27932062.post-65153078771765357932010-02-15T15:04:08.021+00:002010-02-15T15:04:08.021+00:00Sharing the cost of developing, producing and supp...Sharing the cost of developing, producing and supporting new equipment is sensible and the potential savings make it worth accepting the downsides of compromise on specification and loss of programme flexibility. But the budgetary problem faced now by the MOD, which of course will get much worse over the next few years, means that capabilities will have to be given up (or not acquired, for instance force projection by means of strike carriers). The UK really cannot continue pretending it can support the full range of military capabilities.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com