The Department of Defense has released its first-ever National Defense Industrial Strategy (NDIS), a comprehensive guide for the Department’s policy development, engagement, and investment in the defense industrial base for the next three to five years. This strategy, aligned with the National Defense Strategy (NDS), aims to transform the current defense industrial base into a more robust, resilient, and dynamic modernized defense industrial ecosystem.

Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks emphasized the need for immediate and comprehensive action to strengthen and modernize the defense industrial base, ensuring it can deliver swiftly and efficiently for U.S. warfighters.

“DoD’s first-ever National Defense Industrial Strategy will help ensure we build the modern defense industrial and innovation ecosystem that’s required to defend America, our allies and partners, and our interests in the 21st century,” she stated.

The NDIS identifies key risks to the industrial base while also providing solutions. It outlines four strategic priorities: resilient supply chains, workforce readiness, flexible acquisition, and economic deterrence. The strategy highlights the need for capabilities that enable the U.S. military to engage and succeed in conflicts with near-peer adversaries, stressing the importance of speed and scale in defense capabilities.

Acknowledging that the task ahead is not solely a Department of Defense endeavor, the NDIS emphasizes the need for cooperation and coordination across the entire U.S. government, private industry, and international allies and partners. This strategic vision and pathway aim to modernize the defense industrial ecosystem, recognizing the interconnected nature of economic and national security.

The public version of NDIS and an accompanying fact sheet are available for review at the official website: National Defense Industrial Strategy.