United States. Tese changes could be caused by political or military disputes with the United States, by the desire of foreign nations to sell to other coun- tries, by the need to attract foreign investment and production, or by for- eign nations wanting to keep more of the raw materials, parts and finished goods they produce for their own use.


Te following 10 recommendations to


make the United States less dependent on the importation of products essential to our national security are based on the premise that the U.S. defense industrial base is a vital national asset that is no less critical to our national security than our men and women in uniform.


Te recommendations call for:


1. Increasing long-term federal invest- ment in high-technology industries, particularly those involving advanced research and manufacturing capa- bilities. Te distinguishing attribute of the U.S. defense industrial base is technological innovation. As foreign nations continue manufacturing an ever-larger share of America’s defense supplies, the United States increases its risk of diminishing its capacity to design and commercialize emerging defense technologies. To help ensure that our armed forces dominate the future battlefield, Congress should provide funding for American man- ufacturers to develop and implement advanced process technologies.


2. Properly applying and enforcing existing laws and regulations to sup- port the U.S. defense industrial base. Domestic source preferences already enacted into law, such as those that apply to the steel and titanium industries under the Specialty Metals Clause, must be retained to ensure that important defense capabilities


HOT TOPIC


COTS products, such as steel and other metals, may not always measure up to U.S. standards. Loss of the capability to produce such materials at home could put U.S. military superiority at risk. (Photo by Photos.com)


remain secure and available for the U.S. armed forces.


3. Developing key natural


domestic resources


sources of required by


our armed forces. Right now, the United States relies far too heav- ily on foreign nations for certain key metals and other raw materials needed to manufacture weapon sys- tems and other military supplies. For example, most rare earth elements, which are essential components of many modern military technologies,


currently must be purchased from China. (See Figure 1, Page 102.) Te U.S. government and industry must stockpile these vital raw materials, strengthen efforts to resume mining and transformation of the materi- als in the United States, improve recycling to make more efficient use of current supplies, and identify alternate materials.


4. Developing plans to strengthen our defense industrial base in the U.S. National Military Strategy, National


ASC.ARMY.MIL 101


COMMENTARY


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