Pub date: 21 Nov 2011 Latin America / Argentina Defence & Security Industry Report
The Argentine defence sector did not see any major shocks over 2011. Tensions continue to grow between the UK and Argentina concerning Las Malvinas/The Falkland Islands, but it is highly unlikely th... Read More
Pub date: 22 Mar 2012 Asia / Australia Defence & Security Industry Report
In a move that has the potential to change the strategic picture in the Asia Pacific region, Australia and the US agreed in November 2011 to begin basing US Marines in the north Australian port of Da... Read More
Pub date: 23 Dec 2011 Europe / Belarus Defence & Security Industry Report
In 2011 BMI estimates that the Belarusian government will have a defence expenditure of US$692mn. This is down significantly by 22% on 2010’s figure of US$886mn, as the Belarusian government cuts de... Read More
Pub date: 09 Jan 2012 Europe / Bosnia-Herzegovina Defence & Security Industry Report
Bosnia is still without a government, despite parliamentary elections having taken place in October 2011,with the country showing few promising signs of resolving the stalemate. This in turn has resu... Read More
Pub date: 25 Apr 2012 Latin America / Brazil Defence & Security Industry Report
As Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff completes her first full year in power, the country shows every sign of retaining its place as the regional superpower in Latin America, as 2012 unfolds. This is ... Read More
Pub date: 25 Apr 2012 Europe / Bulgaria Defence & Security Industry Report
The government of Bulgaria remains focused on an armed forces modernisation initiative, which was launched to enhance compatibility with NATO, and to re-orientate these forces away from their former ... Read More
Pub date: 02 May 2012 North America / Canada Defence & Security Industry Report
Canada will spend up to US$18.5bn on defence for FY2011/12. Over the long term, the country's defence budget is expected to grow to eventually reach around US$30bn annually by 2027. This budgetary i... Read More
Pub date: 18 Nov 2011 Latin America / Chile Defence & Security Industry Report
Chile’s transition to a centre-right government led by Sebastián Piñera during the 2009-2010 elections indicated the continuing growth of a short tradition of stable democracy in the country. The dev... Read More
Pub date: 16 Mar 2012 Asia / China Defence & Security Industry Report
China faced two potentially serious internal challenges to its stability in early 2012. A village uprising in Wukan, Guangdong, turned into an unplanned democracy experiment, as the central governmen... Read More
Pub date: 04 May 2012 Latin America / Colombia Defence & Security Industry Report
Colombia's government continues to wage its campaign against insurgent organisations and criminal gangs involved in narcotics production and trafficking. The employment of the country's armed forces ... Read More
Pub date: 18 May 2012 Europe / Croatia Defence & Security Industry Report
In terms of the main defence and security issues, Croatia has much in common with other countries in south eastern Europe. An aspirant member of the European Union (which BMI expects Croatia to join ... Read More
Pub date: 30 Nov 2011 Europe / Czech Republic Defence & Security Industry Report
BMI expects an incremental rise in defence budgets in the short and medium term, as the Czech Republic’s economy and budget slowly pick up. However, it should be noted that the budget is not rising ... Read More
Pub date: 18 May 2012 Africa / Egypt Defence & Security Industry Report
Egypt is heading into what can arguably be considered the most critical stage of its post-Mubarak democratic transition, as parliamentary elections are set to get underway in late November. Neverthel... Read More
Pub date: 04 Apr 2012 Europe / France Defence & Security Industry Report
France continues to maintain one of the world's largest armed forces and the largest combined military service in Western Europe. With more than 300,000 military and civilian personnel, the armed for... Read More
Pub date: 19 Apr 2012 Europe / Germany Defence & Security Industry Report
The defence posture of Germany has been controversial domestically since the end of World War II, and little is likely to change in this regard in the future, given the pacifistic nature of a signifi... Read More
Pub date: 25 Apr 2012 Europe / Greece Defence & Security Industry Report
The Greek defence budget is expected to experience a serious reduction of around 16% compared to 2011 figures as austerity measures begin to bite. Savings are expected to be found in the reduction o... Read More
Pub date: 21 Nov 2011 Europe / Hungary Defence & Security Industry Report
In 2011, BMI foresees defence expenditure will stand at 1.22% of GDP, a figure which we see being the high point of spending for some time. It should be noted that this is significantly less than the... Read More
Pub date: 04 Apr 2012 Asia / India Defence & Security Industry Report
In announcing the selection of the Dassault Rafale as the Indian Air Force (IAF)'s new medium multirole combat aircraft (MMRCA) at the end of January 2012, India handed one of the world's most covete... Read More
Pub date: 04 Apr 2012 Asia / Indonesia Defence & Security Industry Report
In an announcement that could have far-reaching implications for South East Asia's strategic landscape, Defence Minister Purnomo Yusgiantoro signalled in January 2012 that the Indonesian military was... Read More
Pub date: 25 Apr 2012 Middle East / Iran Defence & Security Industry Report
By the end of March 2012 it was still unclear whether the crisis surrounding Iran's nuclear programme would reach a diplomatic or military conclusion. Having just held talks with the US president, B... Read More
Pub date: 04 May 2012 Middle East / Iraq Defence & Security Industry Report
While the instability that threatens Iraq both internally and externally has hardly abated, there were some positive signs in early 2012 that the country would not succumb to some of the worst-case s... Read More
Pub date: 18 May 2012 Middle East / Israel Defence & Security Industry Report
While the Arab Spring has raised hopes for a new more democratic and more peaceful Middle East for many in Israel, the overthrow of the country’s erstwhile ally in Egypt and disruption of the region’... Read More
Pub date: 19 Apr 2012 Europe / Italy Defence & Security Industry Report
Along with several other countries in the eurozone, Italy is currently in the middle of a severe financial crisis that is causing its government to make some tough decisions regarding defence spendin... Read More
Pub date: 04 Apr 2012 Asia / Japan Defence & Security Industry Report
Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda visited Okinawa in late February 2012 amid hopes that a long-running controversy over the basing of US Marines on the island could finally be nearing a resolution. A pl... Read More
Pub date: 10 Jan 2012 Middle East / Jordan Defence & Security Industry Report
In 2011 BMI estimates that defence spending fell by 1.12% in Jordanian dinar terms, to JOD1.01bn. This fall is viewed as temporary, however, and in fact only represents a fall to 5.46% of GDP being s... Read More
Pub date: 11 May 2012 Europe / Uzbekistan Defence & Security Industry Report
The five major Central Asian Republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan have commenced a subtle, yet important, realignment of their security policies. This is occu... Read More
Pub date: 18 May 2012 Middle East / Kuwait Defence & Security Industry Report
The influence of the Arab Spring spread to Kuwait in late 2011, as protests that began in September culminated in the storming of parliament in Kuwait City by dozens of demonstrators on November 16. ... Read More
Pub date: 16 Mar 2012 Africa / Libya Defence & Security Industry Report
Libya emerged, for all intents and purposes, as a new country following the death of its former leader Colonel Muammar Qadhafi on October 20 2011. However, the end of the Qadhafi regime is yet to bri... Read More
Pub date: 11 May 2012 Asia / Malaysia Defence & Security Industry Report
BMI's Malaysia Defence and Security Report examines the country's strategic position in South East Asia and the wider region. It provides an overview of the challenges facing the country in the conte... Read More
Pub date: 21 Nov 2011 Latin America / Mexico Defence & Security Industry Report
Mexico’s defence and security sector was teetering on the edge of a potential overhaul in late 2011, with the nature of defence spending again mostly influenced by the country’s seemingly indelible d... Read More
Pub date: 10 Jan 2012 Asia / North Korea Defence & Security Industry Report
Over the course of 2011, two significant trends have lent themselves to a renewed interest in the activities of North Korea, and more particularly the relationship between the regime and its nuclear ... Read More
Pub date: 04 Apr 2012 Asia / Pakistan Defence & Security Industry Report
Political turmoil, fragile security and tense relations with both Afghanistan and the United States meant that early 2012 was as unsettled for Pakistan as the long succession destabilising months tha... Read More
Pub date: 19 Apr 2012 Asia / Philippines Defence & Security Industry Report
The relationship between the Philippines and the Unites States was firmly in the spotlight in early 2012, as the US military's Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines (JSOTF-P) marked 10 year... Read More
Pub date: 18 May 2012 Europe / Poland Defence & Security Industry Report
Poland’s Presidency of the European Union (EU) through H211 should provide the opportunity for the government to promote four major objectives: greater cooperation on defence matters by EU member st... Read More
Pub date: 09 Mar 2012 Europe / Romania Defence & Security Industry Report
Romania is continuing its process of defence modernisation despite the financial challenges that the country is currently facing as a result of the overall economic slump from the eurozone area. To t... Read More
Pub date: 09 Mar 2012 Europe / Russia Defence & Security Industry Report
Russia has embarked on a long-term modernisation programme for its armed forces which is due to conclude by 2020. Apart from performing a marked downsizing of its military, the major tasks of the Ru... Read More
Pub date: 09 Mar 2012 Middle East / Saudi Arabia Defence & Security Industry Report
The legacy of the Arab Spring continued to weigh heavily on the Saudi Arabian government in early 2012, as tensions remained high in the country's eastern Shi'a areas especially. Meanwhile, the regio... Read More
Pub date: 05 Dec 2011 Europe / Serbia Defence & Security Industry Report
When major defence reforms are concluded in early 2011, Serbia's armed forces will number nearly 36,000, theoretically adhering to high professional standards. Serbian officials assert that their arm... Read More
Pub date: 19 Apr 2012 Asia / Singapore Defence & Security Industry Report
Singapore took centre stage in the defence world as it held the biannual Singapore Air Show in February 2012. Now Asia's most important aerospace show, the event gave Singapore an opportunity both to... Read More
Pub date: 27 Mar 2012 Europe / Slovakia Defence & Security Industry Report
In terms of Slovakia's defence industry, the picture has remained largely unchanged despite an unexpected though very temporary spike in defence spending in 2011. The lack of defence spending has be... Read More
Pub date: 20 Dec 2011 Europe / Slovenia Defence & Security Industry Report
The Slovenian defence budget for 2010 was EUR557mn (US$738mn). This marked a 9% drop compared with 2009’s EUR612mn budget, as the Slovenian government took action to limit expenditure in wake of the... Read More
Pub date: 16 Mar 2012 Africa / South Africa Defence & Security Industry Report
South Africa's defence force remains the most advanced on the continent and operates with a consistent focus on training and redevelopment, despite the defence budget remaining flat year on year (at ... Read More
Pub date: 19 Apr 2012 Asia / South Korea Defence & Security Industry Report
Upon the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in December 2011, the outlook for the Korean peninsula became uncertain even by its own less-than-secure standards. Kim was known to be in poor heal... Read More
Pub date: 30 Mar 2012 Europe / Spain Defence & Security Industry Report
The Spanish defence community finds itself in a similar position to many nations throughout Europe. On the one hand, Spain's government is attempting to manage a serious economic downturn, while sim... Read More
Pub date: 19 Apr 2012 Africa / Sudan Defence & Security Industry Report
Despite the euphoria in South Sudan over independence and international recognition in mid-2011, relations between Juba and Khartoum remain testy, with unresolved issues including final borders, con... Read More
Pub date: 30 Mar 2012 Middle East / Syria Defence & Security Industry Report
The first two months of 2012 has seen the internal unrest that erupted in Syria in 2011 steadily worsen, as popular uprisings against several incumbent rulers swept across the North African and Medit... Read More
Pub date: 19 Apr 2012 Asia / Taiwan Defence & Security Industry Report
The re-election of President Ma Ying-jeou in January 2012 was a victory for the status quo in relations between Taiwan and the People's Republic of China (PRC). While a win for the opposition Democr... Read More
Pub date: 02 May 2012 Asia / Thailand Defence & Security Industry Report
Following the crippling floods of late 2011, Thailand entered 'recovery mode' in early 2012, and began counting the cost of the disaster. The floods ate further into the country's economic growth th... Read More
Pub date: 16 Mar 2012 Europe / Turkey Defence & Security Industry Report
Turkey continues to face security challenges both at home and abroad; a trend which looks set to persist throughout 2012. Turkish security forces are continuing their armed campaign to bring the arme... Read More
Pub date: 02 May 2012 Africa / Uganda Defence & Security Industry Report
Uganda's defence expenditure is estimated to have risen 19.74% y-o-y in 2010, accounting for 12.9% of government spending. BMI expects growth in the region of 2.33% in 2011, reflecting Uganda's milit... Read More
Pub date: 10 Jan 2012 Europe / Ukraine Defence & Security Industry Report
In 2012 BMI expects a significant rise in dollar spending on the Ukrainian defence forces – up to US$4.65bn from 2011’s figure of US$4.06bn, representing a growth of around 14%. This is on the back ... Read More
Pub date: 16 Mar 2012 Middle East / United Arab Emirates Defence & Security Industry Report
Having navigated its way through the turmoil of the Arab Spring with less difficulty than perhaps any other Arab government, the main concern for the leaders of the United Arab Emirates in 2012 will ... Read More
Pub date: 30 Mar 2012 Europe / United Kingdom Defence & Security Industry Report
With what has been largely judged to be a successful military intervention in Libya under the auspices of NATO's Operation Unified Protector under its belt, the United Kingdom's armed forces are look... Read More
Pub date: 04 May 2012 North America / United States Defence & Security Industry Report
Following the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq, which was completed on December 18 2011, the country is now contemplating the eventual withdrawal of its forces from Afghanistan; a process that will ... Read More
Pub date: 28 Nov 2011 Latin America / Venezuela Defence & Security Industry Report
Venezuela’s relationship with Russia under President Hugo Chávez’s regime again proved to be a fruitful one for the country’s defence industry in late 2011. Venezuela’s defence expenditure will recei... Read More
Pub date: 02 May 2012 Asia / Vietnam Defence & Security Industry Report
As Vietnam embarks on the costly process of modernising its armed forces, would-be partners from around the world have begun lining up in the hope of securing a share of what could become a lucrative... Read More
Pub date: 10 Jan 2012 Middle East / Yemen Defence & Security Industry Report
Although it is yet to be seen what effect (if any) the killing of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi by antigovernment militants will have on President Ali Abdullah Saleh, it is likely to add urgency to h... Read More