Specialization in defence forces

The choice between balanced and specialized defence forces depends on the technology of defence output (e.g. whether a force scope multiplier is present), the existence of scope and scale economies, the platform customization costs and, of course, the level of defence budgets. Minimum force element levels (thresholds), and scale economics facilitate specialization as opposed to scope economics (e.g. platform-sharing), scale diseconomies and the force scope multiplier (e.g. defence weakest-link technology). When a balanced force is not optimal, the option value of a non-optimally maintained force element must also include the opportunity cost arising from suboptimal force elements. Shrinking defence budgets may produce two surprising phenomena. If some force elements are shut down as a result of thresholds, the surviving ones may increase in platform numbers as well as enjoying closer-to-most desirable platforms. Furthermore, if heritage force elements are shut down within the budget contraction environment, overall defence capability might rise.