Coalition of the Willing...Coalition of the Able. A Case to Reform U.S. Export Policy

摘要

U.S. export laws underwent only minor changes during the Cold War years, but since the end of the Cold War, the world, defense industries, and the Department of Defense (DoD) have undergone significant changes. It is time for the U.S. export system to undergo change itself. The United States is no longer the sole keeper of leading edge technology, the DoD no longer relies solely on the U.S. defense industry for its weapons, and the U.S. military can no longer endure long developmental cycles for weapon systems. When the Soviet Union broke up the world entered a new era, one built not with walls but with bridges. This reality has changed the defense industry into an industry where mergers and acquisitions, both within national borders and across national borders, are needed to survive and compete. The U.S. military has undergone its own transformation to a leaner force with global reach built on rapid response. This force is dependent on the procurement of cutting edge technology and the development of tactics to employ this technology. As the U.S. military looks to a global defense industry to meet these needs, it is faced with a difficult challenge. How can the United States ensure that its allies are capable of providing forces that are technologically capable of joining the fight while balancing the ability to control the flow of critical U.S. technology. The United States must address the difficult task of maintaining control of critical technology while enabling allies to keep pace with the U.S. military. Both are vital to U.S. national security.