As nations seek to build independent defense capabilities, many are finding that true self-reliance requires deeper integration into existing international security and industrial networks.
Key facts
- •The term "self-reliance" has become a central focus for national security leaders in 2026.
- •South Korea’s defense industry success was built by integrating into U.S. networks rather than isolating from them.
- •Ukraine is developing its own strike capabilities while signing production deals in Ohio and New Hampshire.
- •Lithuania is attempting to build a domestic defense industry through a joint venture with Rheinmetall.
- •Co-production agreements, such as the one between Indonesia and South Korea for the KF-21, can fail due to disputes over data and intellectual property.
In 2026, "self-reliance" has emerged as a dominant theme in national security as countries seek to defend themselves amid an eroding international order and a more transactional U.S. foreign policy. While nations from Australia to Europe aim to reduce dependence on the United States, the process of building domestic defense industries is proving to be a complex, costly endeavor that often necessitates continued reliance on global technology and market partnerships.
The South Korean Model
South Korea’s development into a major defense exporter serves as a case study for this paradox. Starting as a client state after the Korean War, South Korea built its defense industry by embedding itself within U.S. military and financial networks, reverse-engineering U.S. technology, and utilizing educational exchanges to train its scientists. Rather than breaking away from the U.S. security order, Seoul used its interdependence to gain leverage, secure arms sales credits, and establish itself as a global competitor.
Current Global Strategies
Ukraine is currently pursuing a similar strategy by developing its own long-range strike capabilities while simultaneously deepening its ties to Western defense networks, including drone production agreements in the United States. Other nations, such as Lithuania, are attempting to build domestic industries through joint ventures with established firms like Germany's Rheinmetall. However, these efforts face significant hurdles, as seen in the failed co-production agreements between Indonesia and South Korea for the KF-21 fighter jet, and the cancellation of a high-profile fighter jet program between France and Germany.
Timeline
- 1961-1979Park Chung-hee ruled South Korea and sought to restore its de facto sovereignty.
- 1970Park Chung-hee called for "independent self-defense strength" in a New Year's address.
- 2026Self-reliance has become a dominant term in the language of national security.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by Foreign Policy.
