Executive summary
- Major international Defence Industrial Base (DIB) collaborations between the United Kingdom (UK) and its allies, such as AUKUS and the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), generate significant combat capabilities and economies of scale.
- Initiatives such as these will benefit Britain upon delivery of capabilities – starting in the 2030s – but in the short term detract from addressing current threats posed by the UK’s adversaries.
- As such, the contribution of DIB collaborations to deterrence is not a given, as their purpose is to produce capabilities to withstand conflict. However, the essence of deterrence is to prevent conflict occurring.
About the authors
Dr Euan Graham is an Adjunct Fellow at the Council on Geostrategy, non-resident senior fellow at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), and an Australia-based commentator and analyst of Indo-Pacific defence and security.
Patrick Triglavcanin is an International Fellow at the Council on Geostrategy, and Research Assistant at the Defence and Strategic Institute at the University of Western Australia.
Disclaimer
This publication should not be considered in any way to constitute advice. It is for knowledge and educational purposes only. The views expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Council on Geostrategy or the views of its Advisory Council.
Image credit: HMS Anson departs Barrow-in-Furness, 2023, UK MOD © Crown copyright 2023
No. 2026/03| ISBN: 978-1-917893-19-0