Letter from the editor

摘要

Welcome to the third issue of BATTLESPACE for 2012. As defence budgets around the world continued to be put under pressure there is a growing trend for all countries to rely on exports to bolster their defence industries to counter in-country downturn. This issue coincides with the Eurosatory show in Paris. Development of defence technology by the EL) is vital if European security without the help of the USA can be maintained. At the moment the spread of different technologies across the EU makes these difficult and expensive to maintain. At a time of austerity the normal reaction for governments is to cut back on all R&D, to do this at this crucial juncture when the USA is looking towards the Pacific as the next area of conflict and unrest caused by increased immigration, currency turmoil and job losses could cause more destabilization and unrest Europe with some, suggesting that conflict could even break out in Europe. We haven't seen the end of the Euro crisis for many a year and the ramifications which a split Europe could bring. Many years ago a good friend of mine, Dr Sydney Meir said that he believed that the EU would implode with a split between Germany, France, the former Russian Federation states and the Scandinavian countries with the Southern countries of Spain, Italy and the Balkans becoming a separate entity. The UK would them migrate to become the 51st State of the USA.