Acquisition Challenges in the United Kingdom

Abstract

The panel discussion will address four critical defence acquisition issues and programmes which illustrate the innovative approaches the United Kingdom is undertaking in this area. All four cases will echo the challenges facing the US and other countries and provide valuable "lessons learned" in a number of key areas. The first topic is the UK decision to acquire C-17 transports, which provides a good example of the benefits of capability management. The second topic is the UK implementation of a defence industrial strategy which demonstrates a concerted effort to identify those national defence capabilities that must be maintained, and those more efficiently addressed by foreign acquisition and/or cooperation. The third topic is the UK assessment of European defence cooperation, including the difficulties with such efforts and the impact of the controversial "re-evaluation" of the contract for the next generation of aerial tankers. The final topic is the UK experience with the Joint Strike Fighter program, in which the UK is the largest non-US participant, and which holds major implications on future military cooperation with the US Ultimately, the UK experiences show the benefits of more research on international efforts to identify best practices in acquisition management.