Enabling National Security Through Dual-Use Technology

Abstract

Dual-use technology refers to tools or techniques, developed originally for military or related purposes, which are commercially viable enough to support adaptation and production for industrial or consumer uses. Consequently, expensive technologies that would otherwise only serve military purposes can also be used to benefit civilian commercial interests when not otherwise engaged. With defense budgets in decline, industrialized nations must address affordability, as well as performance, in the acquisition of new weapon systems. This paper explores how the utilization of dual-use technology in the United States and the Republic of China is leveraging advanced technologies and efficient production capabilities of commercial industry.