This paper commemorates Ronald Patrick Smith''s scholarly achievements over more than three decades and reviews the many compelling reasons to give Smith this award. Ron Smith is Britain''s leading defence economist, and his research record has laid the foundation of the economic analysis of the military sector. His books and articles on the complex and important issues of military economics have become an essential reference for academics, politicians, practitioners, and students as well as the informed lay person. A dedicated applied economist, Smith has always adhered to rigorous methods, using the mathematical and statistical language of security and peace. By exploring the interaction between the military and economy, Ron Smith has provided an insightful contribution to military planning. Using economic methods while accounting for political and institutional factors, Smith has put forward an economics viewpoint of peace and security and its future prospects.
