The American defense sector faces challenges in attaining the requisite agility and responsiveness to maintain a competitive edge in the rapidly evolving landscape of high-tech warfare, cautions an unpublished draft of the inaugural National Defense Industrial Strategy. Scheduled for imminent release by William LaPlante, the Pentagon’s acquisition chief, this strategic document aims to provide a thorough examination of the Pentagon’s requirements. It emphasizes the necessity of leveraging the capabilities of small technology firms while concurrently facilitating and accelerating the development of cutting-edge technologies within established defense companies. The overarching goal is to enhance the overall efficiency and adaptability of the U.S. defense industry, particularly in the context of an increasingly sophisticated arms race, with nations like China emerging as formidable competitors.
In its current state, the U.S. defense industrial base is deemed insufficient in terms of capacity, capability, responsiveness, and resilience to meet the comprehensive spectrum of military production requirements swiftly and on a large scale. This assessment is derived from a draft version of the report, which was acquired by POLITICO. The American defense
The document, dated Nov. 27, adds that “just as significantly, the traditional defense contractors in the [defense industrial base] would be challenged to respond to modern conflict at the velocity, scale, and flexibility necessary to meet the dynamic requirements of a major modern conflict.”
It notes that America builds the best weapons in the world, but it can’t produce them quickly enough.
“This mismatch presents a growing strategic risk as the United States confronts the imperatives of supporting active combat operations … while deterring the larger and more technically advanced pacing threat looming in the Indo-Pacific,” the study says.