Defence Offsets: Policy vs. Pragmatism
Abstract

Ron Matthews
Cranfield University

Defence offsets have grown in importance over the last 20 years. Increasingly, however, there is a sense amongst informed observers that offset policy requirements have outstripped the ability of industry to deliver. Over and above the perceived difficulties faced by industry in achieving 'inflationary' offset targets, a view is evolving that offsets do not represent the panacea that proponents of offsets would have us believe for the ills of slothful development, diversification and indigenous technological progress Against the ambitious offset policy framework linked to the South African weapons procurement programme, the purpose of this presentation is to screen contemporary offset practises to reach an informed judgement as to the viability of current offset policy initiatives.