The affordability of defence equipment

Monetary inflation has meant that the real unit costs of defence equipment has risen over successive generations of defence equipment. With even new equipment becoming obsolete at an increasingly fast rate affordability, especially in a climate of reduced defence budgets, becomes a crucial criteria in the procurement process. Dr David Kirkpatrick analyses this complex issue taking into account responses to unit cost growth such as international collaboration and tighter procurement procedures. While predictions of economic indicators are always uncertain, Dr Kirkpatrick contends that the problem of escalating costs has not been taken into account in the long‐term policy planning, given the length of most procurement cycles. Not only must policy decisions into the next century look to what is desirable, but also what will be affordable and sustainable.