Global defence developments: 2020 and beyond

In this episode of Sounds Strategic, Meia Nouwens is joined by Fenella McGerty, Senior Fellow for Defence Economics, and Henry Boyd, Research Fellow for Defence and Military Analysis, to discuss the global defence developments identified in the latest edition of The Military Balance.

To mark the publication of The Military Balance 2021, launching today (25 February 2021), Meia, Fenella and Henry discuss recent developments in defence policy, military capability and defence economics. Highlighting the implications of the coronavirus pandemic and the landmark 2020 election in the United States for defence policymakers and industry, Fenella and Henry explore the current trajectory of global and regional defence spending, including in the Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Africa and Europe, and broader defence developments. Despite wider economic difficulties caused by the pandemic, the stronger growth in global defence spending that was achieved in 2019 was maintained in 2020, they explain.

Meia, Fenella and Henry also discuss China’s investment in R&D, the challenges of calculating Chinese defence spending, and the role of unmanned aerial vehicles in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

The Military Balance is the Institute’s annual assessment of global military capabilities and defence economics. The 2021 edition includes updated data on the military organisations, equipment inventories and defence budgets of 171 countries; region-by-region analysis of major developments affecting defence policy, procurement and defence economics; and assessment of key trends in the land, sea and air domains, as well as in cyberspace. Order your copy on Amazon or Routledge.

We hope you enjoy listening to the episode. Don’t forget to follow, rate and subscribe to Sounds Strategic on wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts.

Date of recording: 18 February 2021
Sounds Strategic is recorded and produced at the IISS in London.
Theme music: ‘Safety in Numbers’ by We Were Promised Jetpacks

[benjaminjohnson]

Why don't they find some other metric that actually measures military capability other than % of GDP spent on defense? Seems like if you focus on capabilities rather than just budget, we'd get more efficient defense spending and cooperation...