This chapter describes the international context for UK Defence acquisition, with the specific intention of understanding both the performance of the MoD in equipment acquisition relative to its international peers and to inform thinking as to the kinds of potential solutions that have been proposed and / or adopted elsewhere. As such, the implications of this chapter are largely reflected in observations and recommendations made elsewhere in this report.
For these purposes, the Review has primarily focussed on "similar" Defence systems for which good information is generally available in the public domain (e.g., audit reports and other statistics, formal reviews, policy papers, etc.) - namely the US, France, Australia, and Canada. However, the Review team has also has undertaken a number of conversations with parties involved in various roles in other countries' military acquisition systems (most notably the US and France) to ensure that appropriate context and detail can be reflected here.