The Pentagon is prioritizing partnerships with allies to fortify the defense industrial base, according to Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment William LaPlante, a 2024 Wash100 Award recipient.
Testifying before the Senate Appropriations Committee’s Defense Subcommittee, LaPlante said this increased focus on international collaboration was inspired by lessons learned from the war in Ukraine, specifically cooperative munitions production efforts, the Department of Defense reported on Thursday.
LaPlante noted an Army plan to start co-producing Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems and Precision Strike Missile munitions with allies as one way the DOD is pushing this goal forward.
“That’s where this is all headed. You’re going to see much more co-production, co-development and co-sustainment with allies and partners,” he stated.
Allies and partners, said LaPlante, have recognized the need to build up their own industrial bases.
“For all of the criticism that we give ourselves, rightfully so, they’re envious of what the United States has been able to do. We’re talking to each of these countries,” he said.
This shift, he continued, was driven by developments in military spending and output in both Russia and China.
Russian President Vladimir Putin recently replaced his defense minister with an economist, a move LaPlante said demonstrates that “they’re not in it for the short term.”
“They’re on a wartime footing,” said LaPlante, who called attention to recent estimates indicating that Russia’s military spending has reached seven percent of their gross domestic product.
China has also increased its military output and is currently carrying out its military-civil fusion development strategy to enhance its military power.
At the same time, the Defense Department is working to identify and address warfighter capability needs at a more rapid pace.
Effective acquisition, said LaPlante, is dependent on three things: the contract, the requirement and “having money in the right year.”
Want to know more about the global government contracting landscape? The Potomac Officers Club’s GovCon International Summit on October 10 will bring together key public and private sector leaders to discuss partnerships, joint warfighting, emerging technologies and more. To access additional information and register to attend the event, click here.