Modernisation programmes buoy defence industries
Courtesy SEA
The report says that despite varying agendas, there will be a sharp increase in their military spending over the next 10 years. The financial slowdown and transitioning markets notwithstanding, the defence budgets will continue to be high due to armed forced reorganisation, rising threat perceptions, territorial disputes and porous borders.
Recent analysis from Frost & Sullivan of the defence budgets of 10 selected countries – Algeria, Brazil, Chile, India, Indonesia, Japan, Oman, Poland, Russia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Rapidly Evolving Defence Markets: 10-country Budget Assessment, finds that the 10 countries are expected to spend more than $3.41 trillion on defence between 2013 and 2022.
“Fleet renewal and modernisation programmes will be among the biggest drivers stimulating defence expenditures among the countries considered,” said Frost & Sullivan Aerospace and Defence Research Analyst Alix Leboulanger. “Another significant trend is the strong push to boost the nascent or developing domestic defence industry through strong initiatives such as high-end technology procurement.”
Although there is much interest in modernisation and indigenisation programmes, the challenges involved in implementation will mean that budgets will increase only at a slow pace. Yet, a closer look at the defence sector dynamics of each country reveals that the political intent to strengthen their defence sector is stronger than actual financial capabilities.
The countries most affected by the financial slowdown, such as Brazil or Poland, are forecast to increase their defence expenditures at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 1.30% and 1.08% respectively.
On the other hand, Japan is expected to account for at least 20% of the total spending between 2013 and 2014. Algeria represented almost 4.30% of the total spending in 2013 and is expected to increase that share to 7.21% by 2022.
Owing to numerous domestic and international trends that are constricting defence budgets, governments are resorting to acquiring high-end foreign technology to fulfil three objectives: complete modernisation programmes, consolidate domestic industrial base, and provide employment to locals.
“These acquisitions explain the close link between procurements and transfers of technology (ToT) in defence, in line with offset policies, as demonstrated in Brazil, India and Poland,” noted Leboulanger. “While most offset policies encourage ToTs across the defence segments, governments are also looking to use these policies to reinforce the local civil industry, as in the case of the UAE.”