There's a collective-action issue, though - the status quo is always changing, because other researchers in other countries are changing their countries' milita

There's a collective-action issue, though - the status quo is always changing, because other researchers in other countries are changing their countries' militaries. In which case military research that maintains the balance of power can be less disruptive to the status quo than allowing your own country to fall behind. It depends on the international environment.