Pentagon Official Says Partnerships Are Central to Building Robust Industrial Capacity

Shut collaboration with like-minded companions stays a high precedence as Protection Division leaders drive efforts to strengthen provide chains and bolster industrial capability, a senior Pentagon official mentioned at this time.  

Vic S. Ramdass, principal deputy assistant secretary of protection for industrial base coverage, detailed U.S. initiatives that additional strengthen partnerships and put money into regional initiatives as a part of a panel dialogue on “manufacturing diplomacy” hosted by the Atlantic Council, a public coverage assume tank, in Washington.

Ramdass mentioned the U.S. has lengthy acknowledged the worth of robust partnerships in selling the shared values of peace and safety throughout the globe.  

“Now we have been at this for a very long time,” he mentioned. “However we should have a look at what has occurred inside the previous couple of many years when it comes to our funding within the industrial base and the place we have to pivot [for] the longer term. Vital to that might be our long-term investments, however extra importantly, how we proceed to strengthen these relationships with our allies going ahead.” 

This crucial, he mentioned, is captured in DOD’s first Nationwide Protection Industrial Technique printed earlier this 12 months. 

The 59-page blueprint lays out long-term priorities that can information DOD actions and useful resource prioritization to create a contemporary, resilient protection industrial ecosystem designed to discourage U.S. adversaries and meet the manufacturing calls for posed by evolving threats. 

It additionally underscores the crucial position partnerships will play in charting DOD’s course. 

“This technique highlights the facility of production-oriented diplomacy — leveraging networked manufacturing chains amongst allies [and], enabling us to construct extra resilient provide chains with like-minded companions whereas increasing manufacturing, innovation and total industrial capability,” Ramdass mentioned.  

He mentioned such diplomacy dietary supplements U.S. investments to construct upon the protection industrial base each at house and overseas. 

“Nearer collaboration with allies and companions on protection industrial challenges is a high precedence for our management,” he mentioned.  

That focus is clear in areas all through the globe.

Ramdass famous america’ management within the almost 50-member Ukraine Protection Contact Group, which has made vital strides in not solely responding to Ukraine’s pressing battlefield wants but in addition in taking steps to bolster its long-term sustainment posture.

Classes realized from the UDCG, which Secretary of Protection Lloyd J. Austin III stood up within the wake of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, can be utilized to the Indo-Pacific, Ramdass mentioned.  

“The Indo-Pacific holds large alternatives for shared prosperity and safety throughout varied sectors,” starting from crucial minerals to semiconductors, Ramdass mentioned.

Earlier this month, Austin bolstered the U.S. and its companions’ dedication to strengthening protection industrial cooperation within the Indo-Pacific throughout his deal with on the Worldwide Institute for Strategic Research Shangri-La Dialogue 2024 in Singapore. 

“Along with our mates within the area, we’re breaking down nationwide obstacles and higher integrating our protection industries,” Austin mentioned.    

“We’re additionally working collectively to fortify the shared capability of the protection industrial bases of our allies and companions,” he mentioned. “That is why so many international locations — together with america — are endorsing an announcement of ideas at this time to strengthen the resilience of the area’s protection industrial bases.”  

The joint assertion outlines the signatories’ dedication to working collectively to develop industrial base functionality, capability and workforce. The companion nations additionally goal to extend provide chain resilience, promote protection innovation, and enhance data sharing, amongst different steps.

The assertion of ideas additionally emphasizes the collective dedication to collaborate with trade, capital suppliers, academia and different nongovernment companions to bolster regional protection industrial resilience.

Jedidiah P. Royal, principal deputy assistant secretary of protection for Indo-Pacific safety affairs, famous yesterday throughout a discussion board hosted by the Middle for Strategic and Worldwide Research in Washington that 12 signatories to the joint assertion have additionally agreed to ascertain a multinational discussion board to trade classes realized and greatest practices.   

“This work is important to enabling interoperability between our nations and selling government-to-government and worldwide industrial cooperation,” Ramdass mentioned. “We’re searching for to enhance our personal investments with the numerous and rising capacities and capabilities of our allies and companions within the Indo-Pacific.”