On June 29, Forward Defense Senior Advisor Stephen Rodriguez wrote an article in DefenseNews titled “Nothing left in the tank: The state of the Pentagon’s supply chain.” In the piece, Rodriguez outlines the weakened state of the US Department of Defense, in particular the lack of surge capacity, caused by scarce and sole-sourced components and parts, and how this would be a major disadvantage in a conflict with China.
The defense-industrial base supply chain is barely able to keep pace today, in peacetime. Failure to act, well intentioned or not, is a de jure policy itself.
Forward Defense, housed within the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, generates ideas and connects stakeholders in the defense ecosystem to promote an enduring military advantage for the United States, its allies, and partners. Our work identifies the defense strategies, capabilities, and resources the United States needs to deter and, if necessary, prevail in future conflict.