Economic factors shaping arms production in less industrialized countries

The production of weapons in less industrialized countries (LIC) grew rapid ly from the 1960s to the mid-1980s when it began to stagnate. The trend is not universal, however, with drastic declines in countries in Africa and La tin America and stagnation or even growth in countries in Asia. Initiation and continuation of production often was dependent on political support. We apon unit costs generally were higher than those of comparable imported wea pons. Decreases in exports of weapons from LIC, failures of technologically ambitious programs, increased cost consciousness and changed political pow er coalitions in a number of countries contributed to the change in trend.