Since the 1970s, cooperative armament projects have offered the hope of leveraging national resources. Atlantic Alliance members have sought cooperation with their friends and allies. "These (cooperative) programs help strengthen the connective tissue, the military and industrial relationships that bind our nations in a strong security relationship. The political dimension of armaments cooperation is becoming increasingly important in an uncertain international security environment." This book is about the national armament systems of four nations. It provides an introduction to the political environment, the acquisition organizations, systems and processes of France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States. All four nations are NATO members. These countries for more than a quarter century have been partners in cooperative programs. Their concerted efforts have fielded such systems as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Airborne Warning and Control Aircraft (AWACs), the Navy's RIM-7M, Sea Sparrow, and the AV8B Harrier GR7. Their cooperation in armaments activities has enhanced the mutual security of the alliance and become even more important with the increased emphasis on coalition warfare. Armaments cooperation happens for a range of reasons. Nations anticipate cost saving or desire access to better technology and agree to the development of a new weapon system. However, having the will to cooperate does not mean managing an international armament cooperative program is an easy task. National culture and traditions complicate the job. Different time zones, different currencies, and different fiscal years add to the difficulty. Communicating complex issues through the fog of language, either verbally or in writing, offers a challenging problem for both the program manager and the multinational team members. Working effectively in the international environment requires knowledge of the people, organizations and cultures of each country. As its primary purpose, this book looks at the major political and military acquisition characteristics of the four countries, and provides an overview of their organizations and processes. A useful starting point for understanding an organization is to look at its organizational structure. An organizational structure indicates where activities take place, how the management system operates, and indicates where authority and responsibility rest. The managerial system, which includes the formalized policies and procedures, guides the activities of the acquisition organizations and provides an understanding of how the system operates. This book was written for several audiences. For the acquisition practitioners, this introduction should provide a basic understanding of the other countries' system and their approach to armaments development. This basic understanding will help him or her to more effectively and efficiently perform their assignment in the international environment. There are several secondary purposes. Every year the United States assigns large numbers of military personnel overseas to Security Assistance Organizations (SAO). These "SAOs" perform a key role in the interface between the military of our government and the host country. One of their many tasks is to work with the other country's acquisition system. This book will be a "good read" for them as they attempt to understand and work with these organizations. It will also provide them an introduction to the United States acquisition system. For students of comparative politics, governments, and public administration, this book provides a structured approach to understanding organizations and finding approaches to manage the acquisition and development of weapons systems.