Reforming U.S. Arms Export Controls: The Views of the Allies

Location: The Heritage Foundation's Lehrman Auditorium

Globalization is altering the structure of the defense industrial base. While globalization presents the government with expanded opportunities for obtaining the goods and services it needs to field the best fighting force in the world, it also carries significant risks regarding the release of sensitive technologies to those who may intend harm to the United States. Economic globalization and the more dynamic structure of international relations after the Cold War are making the task of fashioning an effective policy to control the commodities and technologies U.S. industry may otherwise export increasingly complex. A significant contributor to this complexity is the trend toward seeking broader allied participation in the acquisition of advanced defense systems by the Department of Defense. Allied involvement in the development and procurement of the Joint Strike Fighter is just the most prominent example of this trend. This makes the opinion of allied governments important to the domestic debate over options for reforming the Arms Export Control Act and the International Trade in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Join us as representatives of several key allied governments present their views on how to fashion an effective policy for controlling the spread of weapons and weapons technology.