SIPRI YEARBOOK 1997

7. Military research and development*
Eric Arnett

Global military research and development (R&D) expenditure continues to decline. Total expenditure is now about $49 billion, of which $43 billion is accounted for by NATO. Most is going to combat aircraft and missile defences. A notable development in 1996 was the continuity in policy among the most important countries despite several elections and defencereviews. Japan and South Korea continue to increase their military R&Dactivities steadily. Their build-ups are explicable only if the development of an independent arms industry is desirable as an end in itself. In contrast, Taiwan is scaling down its military R&D activities now that arms exporters are willing to supply it overtly. The Indian Defence Ministry continues to plan for a major increase that would double its investment in military technology in 5 years, but for the third year the government has not been willing to allocate the planned funds.

Among the 5 declared nuclear weapon states, the USA and the UK are shifting strongly towards research on conventional weapons, China and Russia are retaining a nuclear emphasis without neglecting conventional systems entirely, and France occupies a position somewhere between.