The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) International Security Program has released a major new report, Rebuilding the Arsenal of Democracy: The U.S. and Chinese Defense Industrial Bases in an Era of Great Power Competition.
The report argues that the U.S. defence industrial base lacks the capacity, responsiveness, flexibility, and surge capability to meet the U.S. military’s production needs. Meanwhile, the Chinese defense industrial base is increasingly on a wartime footing and, in some areas, outpacing the United States. For example, China is investing in munitions, high-end weapons systems, and equipment at a rate estimated to be five to six times higher than that of the United States. Notably, its shipbuilding capacity has now exceeded that of its trans-Pacific counterpart by roughly 230 times.
CSIS authors claim there is an urgent need for the U.S. president to create a body that provides strategic guidance to strengthen the U.S. defence industrial base and broader ecosystem across government. The report also recommends increasing defence spending, improving the workforce, reducing supply chain constraints, and increasing collaboration with key allies and partners in Europe and the Indo-Pacific. Its authors claim the U.S. defence industrial base must be a key pillar of broader U.S. industrial policy strategy to compete with China economically, technologically, and militarily.
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