Munitions: An Industry in Peril
Abstract
Munitions are a critical element of United States national security. The U.S. industrial base is able to produce high quality munitions that are the best in the world, but currently suffers from serious problems. Problems result from a steady decline in procurement funding over the past several decades, and systemic shortfalls in research and development funds. Efforts to stimulate efficiency have instead driven a long series of industry consolidations resulting in loss of competition and increasing corporate debt. Second and third tier suppliers have been eliminated, replaced by small niche companies with limited capabilities. The highly skilled munitions workforce and most government facilities are aging and not being effectively replaced. Program Manager efforts to promote efficiency by purchasing explosives, fuzes or components off-shore resulted in further damage to the domestic industry. Concerns exist that the lack of surge capacity may hazard U.S. security strategy for large-scale contingencies. Inadequate oversight by DoD and confused policies and generation of requirements by the services needs attention. Future systems will incorporate even greater precision and lethality, limiting U.S. casualties and collateral damage. Autonomous weapons, requiring minimal human intervention and the potential for directed energy weapons might someday make the munitions of today obsolete. The U.S. must decide if we will support our struggling industrial base or if we should look to overseas sources of munitions, accepting risks inherent in globalization. Whatever the future holds, munitions will remain a key element of U.S. military power for decades to come.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 06, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA425329
Entities
People
- James Kwolek
- Peggy Carson
- Peter Maunz
- Sonia Carlton
- Sue Lumpkins
Organizations
- Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy