INTERNATIONALISATION AND GLOBALISATION OF THE ARMAMENTS INDUSTRY IN THE 21ST CENTURY

The internationalisation and globalisation processes are present in any filed of human activity, including arms production. Globalization unquestionably changed the environment within which national defense industries operate. The number of transnational defense enterprises is increasing and globalised supply chain are becoming the norm, even for strategic national programs. However defense is still different from other industries. State involvement is still regarded as appropriate. In recent period a rapid movement toward a collective European research effort and an integrated defense market is observed. However the European defense industrial capability are behind the United States. It is worth to remember that the distance between Europe and the rest of the word is narrow. The finding solution of the problem of globalization of defense industry has strategic importance for European companies. Without reform Europe's defense industry will lose its competitive ability. This problem is also very important for East European countries, like Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia.