Peacetime Industrial Preparedness for Wartime Ammunition Production
Abstract
Defense preparedness, in simplified terms, has two basic dimensions: manpower and materiel. While the public and academic debate over military manpower problems reflects a healthy concern for the readiness of our armed forces, it addresses only one side of the issue. Deserving of equal attention is US preparedness to provide adequate logistical support to the military, which is the general subject area of this study by Colonel Harry Ennis. Specifically, Colonel Ennis examines the capability of US industry to produce sufficient quantities of ammunition to sustain a major conventional war. Although solidly grounded in history, his analysis considers relatively new factors-the 'short war' philosophy, renewed congressional interest, and budgetary constraints-that add a novel dimension to the old guns-versus-butter debate. Colonel Ennis' study of ammunition has the potential for application to other areas of the defense production base and to other essential wartime commodities. To find evidence that logistical support is a major area for concern, we need go no further than the DOD's recent and widely reported 'Nifty Nugget' exercise, which revealed, among other logistical shortcomings, a deficiency of ammunition support for a major conflict in Europe. This monograph is a positive contribution toward alleviating such problems; it suggests relatively simple, cost-effective steps that might strengthen the ammunition and overall defense production capability of the United States.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 1980
- Accession Number
- ADA089978
Entities
People
- Harry F. Ennis
Organizations
- National Defense University