Publication

Against the background of declining defense budgets, the author of this policy brief argues that the US will need to tap into the global industrial base to meet its security needs in future. For decades the United States has exploited an exceptional set of domestic industrial capabilities to help meet its security, defense, and intelligence challenges. These industrial capabilities have persevered through two major market downturns in the past fifty years. It is therefore easy to assume that this domestic industrial capability will always be there to provide US forces with the right tools. However, such an assumption glosses over the major changes that have taken place since the Second World War and the challenges that await the defense industry as the third major downturn begins in defense acquisition spending since the 1950s.