ABSTRACT
The end of the Cold War introduced an era of deep cuts in military budgets even in nations far from the center of the conflict. South American countries were among the nations with high rates of post-Cold War disarmament, demobilization and demilitarization. Argentina is an excellent bellwether case because it was one of a handful of developing nations to aspire to produce the full range of military systems (Ball, 1988). It also enjoys a relatively educated and technically sophisticated workforce. However, the end of the Cold War did not precipitate a defense conversion process in Argentina as in many other developing countries. Rather, it triggered the collapse of the Argentine Defense Industrial Complex (DIC) – the only wholly owned national heavy industry – through national economic and institutional restructuring.
