Arms Cooperation: U.S. Security and Economic Imperatives in a New World Order

摘要

This paper examines policy and directives regarding standardization through armscooperation to determine if they support US national interests. Security, economic, and industrial interests are incrementally explored to help answer this question using the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), a mature alliance, as a basis for analysis. The author reviews arms cooperation from a historical perspective and describes the means by which arms cooperation is accomplished. Policies, positions, perspectives and lines of authority are reviewed in light of the emerging new world order. National interests are incrementally analyzed in the areas of national security, economics interests, and the impact on industry. The author concludes with detailed findings and recommendations which cumulatively propose that arms cooperation policies should continue to be pursued which open defense markets, avoid protectionist positions, and support a collective security strategy. Policies must be clearly articulated, avoid conflicting lines of authority, safeguard competition and technological advantage, and provide for a responsive industrial base. The author calls for rhetoric in this critical area be translated into real leadership.