Defense R&D in the anti-terrorist era

This paper analyzes the terrorist threat following 9/11, and explores its implications for defense R&D. First, it reviews the composition of defense R&D since 9/11: big weapon systems still command 30% of defense R&D spending (legacy of the Cold War), vis-à-vis just about 13% for intelligence and anti-terrorism. The second part examines the nature of the terrorist threat, and develops a simple model of terrorism, cast in a nested discrete choice framework. Two strategies are considered: fighting terrorism at its source, and protecting individual targets, which entails a negative externality. Intelligence emerges as the key aspect of the war against terrorism and, accordingly, R&D aimed at enhancing intelligence capabilities is viewed as the cornerstone of defense R&D.