European Armament Collaboration: What We Can Learn from History and Concepts

Abstract

Historically, European armament cooperation takes place under very specific conditions: the European defense market is no free and regular market, as states exercise their influence aiming to retain a certain degree of defense industrial autonomy and trying to keep know-how and jobs in their respective national economies. Nor does it function only according to political will, since governments have to accept the various limitations of their national defense industry in capacity, capability and competitiveness. This situation is likely to remain so for the foreseeable future. Hence, the question is how to balance and moderate these diverging interests to deliver better results than in the past, when collaborative armament projects often suffered from cost overruns and delivery delays. Combining empirical evidence and conceptual approaches, which are able to interweave the logics of both systems, will provide satisfactory explanations for past experiences. Furthermore, it will enable us to develop an understanding of how future collaborations may yield greater chances for success, economically and politically.