An interesting article has been published in the Export of Armaments magazine, a regular issue by the russian think tank Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies (CAST). The text provides a rundown of the U.S. National Defense Industrial Strategy, an official document released by the U.S. Department of Defense this January.
This article provides a russian perspective on the document, especially in the context of U.S. efforts to strengthen its defense industrial complex. Notably, the article was published after a seven-month delay following the release of the Strategy.
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CAST begins its analysis by highlighting that the U.S. National Defense Industrial Strategy is the first document of its kind adopted by the American military-political leadership.
The author notes that the document itself does not provide specific data or figures nor does it mention responsible individuals or performance criteria. However, its significance lies in its intention to systematize previous efforts to develop the U.S. defense-industrial complex.
The main driver for this strategy is the growing military power of China, followed by other threats such as russia's full-scale war against Ukraine and ongoing hostilities in the Middle East. Both China and russia are identified as major threats to the U.S. and its allies.
In terms of systematically developing defense industrial production, the Pentagon has outlined the following priorities: stability of supplies, personnel training, procurement system flexibility, and "economic deterrence."
The CAST article specifically notes that the Pentagon’s strategy includes "reducing barriers to entry for small and medium-sized businesses," meaning it aims to lower the requirements for contractors seeking defense orders from the U.S. armed forces.
Additionally, the author notes that the groundwork for the U.S. National Defense Industrial Strategy was laid back in Donald Trump's presidency, which "gives reasons to perceive this document as a product of bipartisan consensus about the key challenges and the methods of dealing with them." Therefore, the strategy will be resilient to potential changes in the White House.
On the other hand, CAST mentions "commenters in the American defense industry" who allegedly "view the strategy in a skeptical light as another document that abstractly outlines the problem without solving them," referencing an article from Defense News. Instead of commenting on the claim, we encourage reading the original.
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