Page 23 - Five Forces of Americanisation Richard Hooke 04072025 final post SDR1

The UK Defence Industry in the 21 Century
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The Five Forces of Americanisation

Wielding such authority nowadays is a question of who owns the technology, not necessarily the
nation seeking to use it or to supply it to an ally. Hence, when the UK gave industry the job of deciding
by whom, where and how weapon systems would be made in future, it ceded control of supply to
others. Big Stick Diplomacy isn’t plausible if you have to seek another nation’s permission before using
it.

In 2024, with the world’s security framework being tested almost to destruction, such authority is of
inestimable value. As well as to explore interoperability and, significantly, to reduce costs, the
supplier-customer relationship can also be an important channel for dialogue and intelligence
gathering with potential partners and allies overseas. It opens the door to what can become an
increasingly intimate connection between both military and civil societies.

“The core contention of this conference was validated: that the capacity to project legitimate
coercive power is central to credible defence and deterrence but that such power can only be
credible if Allied and Partner societies are demonstrably secure to friends and foes alike. The key
to effective resilience and thus credible defence and deterrence is shared, well-designed, and
responsive architecture built on a range of critical partnerships. These partnerships must be
deeper and more planned than hitherto between NATO and the EU, between member states and
partners, but above all, between governments and civil society. There is much to relearn from
civil defence during the Cold War.”
(“Future Defence, Deterrence and Resilience Conference”, Wilton Park, UK Foreign,
Commonwealth & Development Office, 7-9 October 2024)
It follows then that a nation’s procurement policies should reflect the connection between national
security policy and the DIB. As well as providing a valuable link between the national security policy
and the DIB, trade also of course creates significant financial value through exports.

"while the Government attach[es] the highest importance to making progress in the field of arms
control and disarmament, we must also take what practical steps we can to ensure that this
country does not fail to secure its rightful share of this valuable commercial market."
(Denis Healey, Secretary of State for Defence, informing Parliament on January, 1966 of the
formation of the Defence Sales Organisation, later renamed the Defence Export Services
Organisation (“DESO”) in 1985.

This is systems thinking. Or “joined-up government”, an emerging theme in both Prime Minister
Johnson’s 2021 DSIS and in his successor, Prime Minister Sunak’s IR Refresh. It was also the focal point
of former Civil Service Chief Executive Sir John Manzoni’s transformation programme six years ago 7
and looks likely to be taken further by the Starmer government’s One HMG.

Source: The United Nations

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07/07/2025 Richard Hooke 2025