October 21, 2024

It’s Time for a True Industrial Strategy for American National Security

By: Becca Wasser and Mara Rudman

Earlier this year, the bipartisan congressionally-appointed commission on which we serve sounded the alarm that America is at risk of losing its military and technological edge to China. One way to meet that challenge is to redefine how the industrial base fits into national security to create an all-elements of national power approach.

Currently, the view of industrial national security tends to focus on efforts to keep the defense industrial base healthy, productive, and resilient. The emphasis has been ensuring China or Russia cannot buy companies that are integral parts of the defense supply chain, improving and expanding production of the weapons in demand around the globe, and ensuring the security of critical infrastructure essential to the defense industrial base.

For an industrial strategy to work, the president must make it a White House priority that pulls together all elements of national power.

But in 2024, and certainly going forward, this is simply too myopic a view of the role industrial policy plays as the backbone to American security. There is an integral link between the defense industrial base and American industry as a whole. The materials, components, and manufacturing produced by American industry are as essential to the defense industrial base as they are to U.S. economic strength. The next administration should ensure that industrial policy receives significant attention to strengthen national security.

Industrial policy requires making strategic public investments designed to strengthen economic and national security — not only what is traditionally thought of as the defense industrial base, but in broader goods and manufacturing category for both America and its allies. This means ensuring effective production of and supply chains for goods and manufacturing that serve interests and needs across the economy – not just the defense industrial base — as an expanded aperture strengthens U.S. security.

Read the full article from Breaking Defense.

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