Arming Asia: Technonationalism and Its Impact on Local Defense Industries

Bitzinger examines the phenomenon of attempted self-reliance in arms production within Asia, and assesses the extent of success in balancing this independence with the growing requirements of next-generation weapons systems. He analyzes China, India, Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia.

The overarching question in the book is whether self-reliance is a strategically viable solution for development and manufacturing of arms. Given the ever-changing dynamics and increasing demand for sophisticated next-generation weaponry, will these countries be able to individually sustain their domestic defense industries and constantly update their technologies?

This is the first book to analyze arms production from a regional perspective.

Richard A. Bitzinger is Senior Fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. He is the author of Towards a Brave New Arms Industry? (Oxford University Press, 2003), "Come the Revolution: Transforming the Asia-Pacific’s Militaries," Naval War College Review (Fall 2005), Transforming the U.S. Military: Implications for the Asia-Pacific (ASPI, December 2006), and "Military Modernization in the Asia-Pacific: Assessing New Capabilities," Asia’s Rising Power (NBR, 2010). He is also the editor of The Modern Defense Industry: Political, Economic and Technological Issues (Praeger, 2009) and Emerging Critical Technologies and their Impact on Asian-Pacific Security (Palgrave, 2016)