The US Defense Industrial Base: Past, Present, and Future
Abstract
The main focus of this report is on the following question: How prepared is the U.S. defense industrial base to meet the needs of the U.S. military Services in coming decades? The Cold War challenge of Soviet power has largely ebbed, but new challenges have emerged. There is the immediate threat of the violence stemming from Salafi-Takfiri and Khomeinist terrorist groups and their state sponsors, who have consumed so much American blood and treasure in Iraq; the longer term challenge of authoritarian capitalist regimes epitomized by the rise of China and a resurgent Russia; and, not least, the worsening problem of proliferation, particularly of nuclear weapons. In the face of these more complex and varied challenges, it would surely be premature to begin dismantling the U.S. defense industry. From a competitive perspective, therefore, the vital question about the defense industrial base is whether it will be as much a source of long-term advantage in the decades ahead as it has been since the 1950s. The bulk of this report is contained in three chapters. Chapter 1 traces the evolution of the U.S. defense industrial base since World War II. Chapter 2 offers an assessment of the industry's performance to date. Chapter 3 addresses two questions: (1) What kind of defense industry is in the best interests of the United States, especially in the foreseeable future; and (2) If the defense industry best suited to cope with the challenges of the early 21st century is substantially different from the one that exists today, what steps might be undertaken to begin bringing about the required changes, Chapter 4 discusses alternative ways in which the U.S. Government could change the structure of the defense industrial base with the goal of strengthening it.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2008
- Accession Number
- ADA506769
Entities
People
- Barry D. Watts