The Defense Industrial Base (DIB) is overly reliant on the import of parts and materials from foreign nations, including from our adversaries. While the supply chain issue has had an ongoing effect on non-military supply systems ranging from cars to products in supermarkets, it brought to light the weaknesses in the DoD’s logistic system and the need for change.
Our reliance on foreign made parts for our weapons systems, often from a country that is an adversary of ours, could significantly reduce our readiness posture. With the supply chain backed up as it is now, we are seeing the effects if the supply chain was used as a weapon against us. And worse yet, often we rely on one specific source for a part. So if that company goes out of business or decides to withhold parts, entire weapon systems could be at risk. And on top of it, most of the ships that transport these parts from the point of origin to U.S. soil are foreign owned as well … also frequently by an adversary.
As Army Brigadier Gen. John Adams wrote back in 2013 “All too often, we fail to recognize that weapons that can’t be built can’t be fired.” And now almost a decade later, we are still dealing with these same logistics issues.
Bring manufacturing home
Modernizing a system as large as DoD logistics is not something that will happen overnight, but for it to happen at all, it has to start somewhere. Recently, the House Critical Supply Chain Task Force recommended legislation that would lead to the identification of parts, supplies and materials that are components of major end items and are currently made by an adversarial nation of ours. From that list, actions would start to move the manufacturing for those items to the U.S. This would reduce the risk that our weapon systems could be held hostage due to these foreign made parts or the transportation of them being withheld.
Upgrading technology
Because cyberattacks are on the rise and could cripple our defense system, another aspect of modernizing our logistic systems is upgrading the cybersecurity and technology currently used. The DoD started down this road by adopting and implementing a Zero Trust cybersecurity strategy and framework. This reduces the risk of a cyber-attack and if an attack does occur, the damage can be quickly contained and remediated.
Also, systems are being moved from the old, antiquated, stovepipe, on-site model that currently uses patched together, legacy network systems to more modern and more secure cloud technology that integrates systems with each other for real-time visibility at the 30,000-foot level. Having this overall visibility enables the use of machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) to allow the use of predictive analysis to better control the supply chain and ensure the availability of required goods. If we can better anticipate the need and provide parts made here in the U.S., we can better control our weapon systems and our national security as a whole.
But doing this takes time and money. As Acting Undersecretary of Defense Acquisition and Sustainment Gregory Kausner said: “We are working to solve a problem that took 50 years to evolve. A comprehensive strategic approach will take time, dedicated attention and resources.” In the interest of national security, we had better hope it does not take another 50 years to solve or we may be speaking a different language.
