Profound changes are occurring in the structure of arms production in Western Europe. Concentration is increasing at a fast pace. Small producers are disappearing and even large ones are opting out of the market. The various national arms industries, long operating in protective environments, are rapidly internationalizing. Three factors combine to bring about this change: East–West détente, the creation of the Single European Market, and the constant pressure of increasingly complex technology.

In this book experts describe how the framework for producing arms in Western Europe is altered, and how various actors—firms, governments, and trade unions—are adapting to the new situation.

The book presents detailed analyses of all the arms-producing countries in Western Europe. In addition to describing recent changes, the authors speculate on the implications of these for the balance of power in Western Europe, the relations between Western Europe and the United States, arms exports to the Third World, and problems of converting from military to civilian production.

The appendices include the SIPRI list of the 50 largest arms-producing companies in Western Europe; data on mergers and acquisitions, procurement expenditure, and exports of major weapons; selections from treaties and other official documents relevant to current and future regulation of West European arms production; and a select bibliography.