December 19, 2022
The ‘Arsenal of Democracy’ Is in Peril
The U.S. was once known as “the arsenal of democracy,” for its ability to build enough weapons not only for itself but also for its allies. In recent decades, that moniker hasn’t been as fitting. The American defense industrial base has consolidated since the end of the Cold War—especially for munitions and missiles—leaving it unable to meet U.S. military requirements, let alone those of its allies and partners. But as William LaPlante, undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, said in October, “production is deterrence.” If the U.S. is to compete with China and Russia, its production capacity needs to change quickly.
As Ukraine’s valiant fight has shown, wars against great powers are rarely won quickly and the price of freedom is high.
The war in Ukraine has underscored the extent of U.S. foreign commitments and the present limits of industry. Washington has sent more than $19 billion in security assistance to Kyiv since February, including thousands of long-range rockets and missiles and millions of shells from the Pentagon’s own supplies. These drawdowns have helped the Ukrainians fend off the Russians, but they’ve also depleted U.S. stocks and impaired our military’s preparedness for war.
It will take years, for example, for the U.S. to replace the 1,600 Stinger antiaircraft missiles it’s given to Ukraine, because Stinger production stopped in 2003. Raytheon, the sole producer of these weapons, began to revive the dormant Stinger line this spring in response to the war. But material is limited and large numbers of the shoulder-fired missiles won’t be available until late 2023 or 2024.
Read the full story and more from the Wall Street Journal.
More from CNAS
-
It’s Time for a True Industrial Strategy for American National Security
Commentary
For an industrial strategy to work, the president must make it a White House priority that pulls together all elements of national power....
By Becca Wasser & Mara Rudman
-
Sharper: Allies and Partners
Commentary
Amid intensifying geopolitical challenges, the United States is finding new ways to address security issues by cultivating and strengthening alliances and partnerships. How ca...
By Gwendolyn Nowaczyk & Charles Horn
-
How We Survive Ep 5: Wargames
Podcast
Dr. Ed McGrady, Adjunct Senior Fellow for the Defense Program at CNAS, joins the show to discuss how climate began to factor into humanitarian crisis war games as far back as ...
By Dr. ED McGrady
-
Wars Are Not Accidents
Commentary
The road to conflict is an action-reaction process. Leaders decide whether and how to respond to a rival’s moves, and they often search for ways to lower the temperature. Esca...
By Erik Lin-Greenberg
