West's military advantage is being eroded, report warns

The west is losing its advantage in weapons technology as defence spending in Asia and other regions soars, survey says

The west's decades-long advantage in military technology is being eroded as defence spending in the rest of the world, notably Asia, soars, an authoritative report says.

The latest annual Military Balance by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) shows that advances in weapons-related technology once the preserve of the west - including cruise missiles, unmanned drones and electronic warfare - are becoming increasingly accessible to more and more countries.