Page 47 - 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

having provided over 120 platforms and operated on 80% of US military fixed-wing aircraft. But its
capability to do so resides in the USA and its relevant skilled workforce is comprised of US nationals,
with oversight provided by BAE’s US proxy board.

“Yes, the US is an ally. But it is also proprietorial about US-based defence technologies. That
arguably limits the benefit from common ownership of US and UK-based business in this sector“
(Helen Thomas, Financial Times, August, 2021)
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In an industry where spiral development is considered vital in simulating innovation (such as on BAE’s
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EW systems for 4 generation aircraft) while also achieving early entry into service, the owner of the
core technology is critical.
“We consider it vital that the UK can maintain and upgrade equipment independently. We expect
the MoD to obtain all the information and technology transfer it requires to do this. We will
continue to monitor the progress on technology transfer in relation to the Joint Strike Fighter.”
(House of Commons Defence Committee, “The Defence Industrial Strategy, 2005-06”, April, 2006)

For the UK, creating a meaningful role in any new order inevitably begins with defining its relationship
with the USA. Sharing values is an important start. Some form of political alignment is important
because idealism alone is again on shaky ground. As far as realism is concerned, aside from nuclear
weapons, the US has long recognised that both scale and technology together are required to win
wars with conventional weapons.

“We kill them (North Korean soldiers) with our drones ... It’s a battle of technology. War is the
engine of progress. I think we are better than them.”
(Vadim Riddik, 17 Heavy Mechanised Brigade, Rubicon Drone Company, Ukraine Armed Forces;
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The Observer, 19 January, 2025)
Consequently, it acquires and controls flows of defence equipment and technology within and outside
of its home borders with pragmatic discipline.

“Working with the Americans, without guarantees of technology transfer, will lead us
increasingly into dependence on that technology, and given the fact that much of the UK defence
industrial base is now embedded in the US defence market, affords temptations for those
companies to export our technology and keep it in the United States, maximising benefit to
shareholders and, certainly in terms of repatriating profits, very, very convenient but not
necessarily guaranteeing UK onshore technology or technological autonomy”
(Professor Keith Hayward, House of Commons Defence Committee: The Defence Industrial
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Strategy Seventh Report of Session 2005–06 7 February, 2006)
As former UK Foreign Secretary Douglas Hurd noted in 1997, “the nature of American foreign policy is
crucial for all of us … the tension between idealism and realism is continuous and striking”. For the
current UK Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, the aim is to sustain the constructive relationship with
the USA whilst developing what his Prime Minister has called “more military collaboration between
the UK and Europe including … improving military mobility and logistics across Europe, focusing on
research and development and deepening industrial collaboration”.
“Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke today with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy on a range
of pressing global issues. Both leaders expressed eagerness to begin working together
immediately to further our many shared foreign policy objectives. They affirmed the depth of the
U.S.-UK Special Relationship and the crucial nature of our partnership in addressing issues like the
conflict in the Middle East, Russia’s war against Ukraine, and China’s malign influence. They also
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heralded joint initiatives, including the AUKUS partnership, which promotes a free and open
Indo-Pacific that is secure and stable.”
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Tammy Bruce, US Department of State, 27 January, 2025
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It is understandable therefore that, according to James Landale, BBC News, on 9 January 2025,
“Lammy calls his approach to foreign policy "progressive realism". He said this means “seeking

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07/07/2025 Richard Hooke 2025