Defence Industry Policies of Small and Medium Powers: An Introduction to the Challenges and Prospects

Abstract

The urgency to better understand small and middle powers’ defence industrial activities is growing, both from a scholarly and a practitioner’s perspective. Few states today possess the defence industrial capabilities to produce all, or even most, of their armaments domestically. With rising development costs, greater complexity inherent in modern military technology, and intensified global market competition, the prospects for states aspiring to build up domestic defence industries, or sustain the ones they already have, look increasing poor. In the face of these strong headwinds many small- and medium-sized powers continue to pursue domestic arms production. What drives them to do so? In this introductory essay to the special issue, we provide an overview of some of the most significant developments in global arms production and how this shapes the choices states are making about their defence industries. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.