Strengthening the Industrial Base to Deliver the Future Defense Space Architecture

The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) will soon derive operational benefits from its initial proliferated space systems. If successful, these systems are likely to accelerate the department’s plans to transition more of its missions and acquisitions to similar approaches. However, the DOD’s plans will not be achieved without robust supply chains and a ready defense industrial base in place. To overcome the challenges of resourcing and executing this transition, the DOD will need to rebalance priorities to focus on resiliency over efficiency, taking steps to ensure that the United States has reliable and secure sources for raw materials, parts, and components. This chapter examines several issues at the intersection of proliferated DOD space systems, the defense industrial base, and supply chains. 

Author: Andrew Berglund

This paper was published in Space Agenda 2025, an effort by the Center for Space Policy and Strategy (CSPS) at The Aerospace Corporation to highlight and provide insights into some of the major space challenges facing policymakers. You can read the entire list of Space Agenda 2025 papers here.