This Memorial Day, Don’t Forget the Defense Industrial Base
Mackenzie Eaglen /
As we have discussed before, President Obama’s fiscal year 2010 defense budget suffers from serious conceptual flaws concerning the nature of future warfare and the force structure the American military needs to fight and win. But there is another related issue that must merit the serious consideration of Congress as it prepares to make lasting decisions about the future: the stability and health of America’s defense industrial base.
Since World War II, the United States has benefited from the skills of a robust defense manufacturing workforce. America’s Air Force and Navy operate the world’s best fighter aircraft, long-range bombers, aircraft carriers, destroyers, cruisers, and submarines. Although technology alone has not assured American military superiority, the defense industry has nevertheless been a potent enabler of American military might.