The Defense Department on Oct. 29 published the implementation plan for its first-ever strategy – released in January – to spark a generational change in the defense industrial base (DIB).
“Publishing the [National Defense Industrial Strategy] was a significant accomplishment as we work to strengthen the size and resilience of our industrial base,” Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment, William LaPlante said in statement on release of the plan this week. “But we’ve always said that it was only the first step, implementation is what really matters,” he said.
The DoD released the National Defense Industrial Strategy (NDIS) on Jan. 11 laying out four long-term strategic priorities to serve as guiding beacons for industrial action and resource prioritization. Those are: resilient supply chains; workforce readiness; flexible acquisition; and economic deterrence.
The NDIS Implementation Plan (NDIS-IP) outlines current and future actions the department is taking to tackle major challenges within the DIB. It highlights the risks facing the defense ecosystem and details the investments and programs designed to accelerate implementation efforts.
The NDIS-IP describes six implementation initiatives that it says “will enable the DoD to achieve a more resilient defense industrial ecosystem.”
The first initiative focuses on building a DIB net framework to enhance integrated deterrence in the Indo-Pacific. The second initiative, managing defense production and supply chains, centers on onshoring critical defense capabilities and moving away from adversarial supply sources.
During a press briefing, Laura Taylor-Kale, the assistant secretary of defense for industrial base policy, explained that as part of this initiative the DoD plans to conduct “a deeper analysis of supply chain vulnerabilities, enhance industrial cybersecurity and reinvigorate critical materials stockpiling.”
The third initiative aims to further develop allied and partner industrial collaboration. The fourth initiative – capabilities and infrastructure modernization – focuses on investing in infrastructure and fundamental industrial capability to meet strategic and key operational requirements.
The fifth initiative centers on utilizing more flexible pathways to field new capabilities in a timely fashion. The DoD has already crafted multiple acquisition pathways for tailorable processes and rapid prototyping and fielding, and this initiative “will continue to push adaptable acquisition to deliver cutting edge technologies to the warfighter,” the Pentagon said.
The final initiative – strengthening intellectual property and data analysis – focuses on ensuring effective use of resources throughout a program life cycle by fully integrating intellectual property planning into acquisition and product support strategies.
“Each initiative supports NDIS priorities to meet current demands and address future challenges and much of this work,” Taylor-Kale said.
The department plans to issue a classified version of the plan outlining the remaining efforts aligned with the six initiatives.
