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Defence industry cooperation in Asia: bad and good news
Posted By Peter Jennings on February 7, 2013 @ 05:00
Two big developments last week highlighted both the difficulties and the opportunities for Australian defence industry to make headway (as Australia sees it) in the so-called Asian century. The first development relates to a lost opportunity with a South Korean firm, the other to a potentially huge opportunity with Japan. To give these stories a bit of context, it’s worth highlighting how the Asian Century White Paper described prospects for cooperation with our current second and sixth biggest trading partners:
The more advanced economies in the region—particularly Japan and South Korea—will remain important drivers of economic activity, especially as suppliers of critical, high‑value elements of the region’s production networks and as consumers of final goods.
… an issue that still has to be addressed is the nature of technology being provided only one-way instead of mutual sharing.
Article printed from The Strategist: https://www.aspistrategist.org.au
URL to article: https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/defence-industry-cooperation-in-asia-bad-and-good-news/
[1] Image: http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/4307189567_c0dfaf20c5_z.jpg
[2] Asian Century White Paper: http://asiancentury.dpmc.gov.au/white-paper/chapter-2/asia-will-continue-transforming-region-and-globe
[3] our current second and sixth biggest trading partners: http://www.dfat.gov.au/trade/focus/081201_top10_twoway_exports.html
[4] pulled out of an arrangement with Raytheon Australia and Chemring Australia: http://raytheon.au.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=71&pagetemplate=release
[5] quoted in the Australian Financial Review: http://www.afr.com/p/national/korean_weapons_maker_ditches_tender_ENvzcJN8lxffk5lu0F9yiP
[6] not to proceed with a $220 million acquisition of self-propelled howitzers from South Korea’s Samsung Techwin: http://www.minister.defence.gov.au/2012/05/08/minister-for-defence-budget-2012-13-defence-budget-overview/
[7] reported: http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/Aust-govt-is-disingenuous-dishonourable-Samsung-pd20121016-Z5P7L?OpenDocument&src=srch
[8] aspirations: http://www.dpmc.gov.au/national_security/national-security-strategy.cfm
[9] serious consideration is reportedly being given in the Japanese Ministry of Defence: http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/politics/AJ201301280004
[10] agreed to increase defence industry cooperation with that (re)emerging player in Asian security, the United Kingdom: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-and-japan-develop-defence-relationship--2
[11] Defence Capability Plan (Public Version): http://www.defence.gov.au/publications/CapabilityPlan2012.pdf
[12] new Minister for Defence Materiel, Dr Mike Kelly: http://www.minister.defence.gov.au/category/kelly/
[13] pasukaru76: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pasukaru76/4307189567/