The Pentagon's Defense Industrial Base Strategy: A Freshened Approach for a Tough World
Bi-Partisan Support May Secure Durability of Fresh Defense Industrial Blueprint Beyond Elections
The Pentagon has given a fresh lease of life to its plan of implementing its defense industrial base strategy, just in time for the whirlwind of the upcoming election, according to the official who spearheaded its creation. The strategy, tentatively known as the National Defense Industrial Strategy (NDIS), was first unveiled at the start of the year, but the detailed implementation plan wasn't released until late October.
The mastermind behind this strategy, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy Laura Taylor-Kale, revealed during an event at the Center for Strategic and International Studies that the delay was due to meticulous work ensuring the plan truly reflects the needs of the entire Department of Defense, Congress, industry, and foreign partners.
"We've spent the last six to nine months engaging closely with industry, getting feedback on this strategy, as well as iteratively on the six implementation priorities," Taylor-Kale said at the event.
The global anxiety about the future health of the defense industrial base escalated after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, as the U.S. and its allies scrambled to provide weapons and equipment, revealing a gap in the base's ability to ramp up production quickly. The need for a robust and resilient defense industrial base has never been more apparent.
At a Pentagon press conference to release the plan, Taylor-Kale acknowledged the impact of current geopolitical undercurrents, stating, "We have seen how quickly we need to ramp up capacity in response to conflict. World events have forced us to prepare for the long-term and plan differently."
To make the strategy enduring and able to withstand the test of time and political changes, Taylor-Kale explained that they had built bridges across political spectrums, receiving feedback and engagement from both Democrats and Republicans. The plan made its way through both chambers of Congress, navigating more than a dozen committees. It also traversed various departments within the Commerce and State Department, the Pentagon's cost analysis shop, and the services.
Given the bipartisan essence of national defense, Taylor-Kale feels optimistic that the implementation plan will continue even after the new administration takes office, regardless of whether it is led by Donald Trump or Kamala Harris. She added that the incoming administration will have an analytical framework for investing in the defense industrial base, sparing them the need to start from scratch.
The implementation plan is intended to be dynamic and adaptable, with an annual update scheduled. Taylor-Kale mentioned that both classified and public versions of the update will be released to foster transparency and help partners align their plans with the defense industrial base strategy of the U.S.
The heart of the strategy lies in six implementation priorities that require urgent action to secure the U.S.'s ability to deter war or prevail if drawn into war:
- Indo-Pacific Deterrence: Bolster the production of munitions, missiles, and strategic partnerships.
- Production and Supply Chains: Invest in supply chain resilience, focusing on critical items like microprocessor chips and rare earth elements.
- Allied and Partner Collaboration: Co-produce common weapons with allies worldwide.
- Capabilities and Infrastructure Modernization: Upgrade military depots and nuclear weapons facilities to ensure scalable production.
- New Capabilities Using Flexible Pathways: Use rapid prototyping to develop and field new weapons at scale.
- Intellectual Property and Data Analysis: Protect intellectual property rights to foster competition.
Taylor-Kale emphasized that "working with our allies and partners must be a priority for global defense production and capabilities." The strategy aims to build a defense industrial ecosystem that is robust, innovative, and adaptable to today's dynamic geopolitical landscape.
According to the 80-page plan, more than $37 billion of the fiscal 2025 defense budget request would be allocated to fulfilling the priorities, primarily for munitions. The implementation plan intends to foster transparency by providing industry and partners insights into the plans and investments, ensuring closer ties and a more cohesive approach.
- The Pentagon's Defense Industrial Base Strategy, known as the National Defense Industrial Strategy (NDIS), has been revised with a focus on strengthening indo-Pacific deterrence by bolstering the production of munitions, missiles, and strategic partnerships.
- To accommodate geopolitical uncertainties and prepare for the future, the Pentagon has prioritized improving the production and supply chains, emphasizing the significance of critical items like microprocessor chips and rare earth elements.
- To build a more robust and collaborative global defense system, the NDIS plan supports co-producing common weapons with allies worldwide.
- In order to sustain security in an ever-evolving landscape, the Pentagon's strategy is committed to developing a resilient and innovative defense industrial ecosystem that prioritizes modernizing capabilities and infrastructure, as well as safeguarding intellectual property rights.
