With the first draft of the Department of Defense’s (DoD) National Defense Industrial Strategy (NDIS) out since mid-January, the challenges are many in how the strategy will be implemented and what type of roles industry will play going forward, a DoD official explained on Feb. 16.
The strategy aims to catalyze generational change from the existing defense industrial base (DIB) and create a more robust, resilient, and dynamic modernized defense industrial ecosystem. The 60-page document lays 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.
Danielle Miller, acting deputy assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Resilience, discussed some of the challenges faced thus far with the new strategy during an event hosted by Washington Technology on Feb. 16.
“The demographics are changing … regional people are moving from the East Coast in towards the Sunbelt. And so if you look at … where our shipyards reside, that’s a challenge for us,” said Miller.
She also touched on challenges that come with trying to attract younger people into military-related manufacturing work.
“General interest in manufacturing work [is low]. Many people want to be influencers, right? So how do you attract people to come actually work on a yard,” she asked.
“People my age now have kids that are getting ready to go to high school and college or are in college. So when they’re picking careers, they’re not necessarily thinking about being an industrial hygienist, right? They’re thinking of how to be a banker or be a lawyer,” Miller said.
Speaking of the strategy more broadly, she said “we have a great need to seek to partner with vibrant organizations to create modern defense industrial equity ecosystem we need to meet today’s challenges and prepare for tomorrow’s,” she said, adding, “but I do have an answer for you.”
“Modernizing our defense and industrial ecosystem will require dynamic efforts across the U.S./ government to create the legal and policy conditions that will allow us to succeed,” Miller said.
