The National Security Industrial Base

Book excerpt: At a moment of historic highs in defense spending, there is growing concern about the future of American defense industry as well as the national security industrial and scientific base more generally. As we explore the needs and future of the defense industrial base it is important to recognize that there is no one silver bullet solution to the challenges that range from how to manage an austere defense budget environment to how to solve long-term trends in fields that may not seem directly linked, but are foundational, like STEM education. Even more, it is important to recognize that there are many questions that remain open in a sense, requiring greater study and analysis. These include: what is the range of probable levels of future American defense spending in the coming years, as well as the likely resources available for weapons acquisition? What apportionment of acquisition resources between procurement, on the one hand, and research, development, testing and evaluation on the other makes sense, and should the structure of contracts be changed to strengthen one process or the other? How can key innovation and design-team capabilities be retained even in an era of fewer new key program starts? How can industry-Pentagon dialogue, now probably too constrained, be best promoted in a manner consistent with tight ethics restrictions? Which specific areas of technological capability might require protection so that at least one to two key American suppliers remain? Relatedly, how can the defense industry subcontractor base be kept viable, including at the small-business level? Which export control reforms are needed? How can defense workforce excellence be retained, in terms of STEM competence, military experience, and financial and organizational acumen, as a key generation of workers and leaders retires in the coming years? Throughout the process, American planners should remember that winning wars takes first and foremost great troopers, as well as excellent strategists to guide their operations and employment. But it also takes outstanding equipment and technology. We should neither lose sight of this fact nor consider the high quality of U.S. weaponry a God-given birthright of the American people and their men and women in arms.