ABSTRACT
Charles Wolf has found that military development was a critical factor in creating a stable political environment for sustained economic growth. Clearly, what African states require is more appropriate military technology suited to states in the earliest stages of industrialization. Adapted or appropriate military technology would potentially make greater contributions to the private sector, since the technological level of the military would match that of the society generally. The suppliers of arms to Africa potentially would experience similar problems with the appropriate military technology. Given the types of weapons currently available in the international arms market and African demands for them, it is possible to predict with some assurance the path of military development in Africa. Larger armies might involve greater risks of coups d'etat or disproportionate military influence in government. The fighting in Lebanon, in the South Atlantic and between Iran and Iraq has tended to focus public attention on advanced missiles and weapons, on glamorous military hardware.
