{"id":38805,"date":"2019-02-04T18:45:35","date_gmt":"2019-02-04T18:45:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2019\/02\/04\/transforming-americas-supply-chain-into-a-strategic-weapon\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T23:03:15","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T23:03:15","slug":"transforming-americas-supply-chain-into-a-strategic-weapon","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/commentary\/2019\/02\/04\/transforming-americas-supply-chain-into-a-strategic-weapon\/","title":{"rendered":"Transforming America\u2019s supply chain into a strategic weapon"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Aerospace and defense industry pioneers are best known for pushing the boundaries of math and science to overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges \u2014 and changing our world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019re about to celebrate the 50th anniversary of one of their most significant accomplishments \u2014 the Apollo moon landing \u2014 a pivotal moment in America\u2019s space race that was the culmination of the burgeoning A&D industry\u2019s technological prowess.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But 50 years later, acquiring the materials and resources that will make the next landing and other future breakthroughs possible has become almost as challenging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, the A&D industry\u2019s $400 billion-plus supply chain is being tested on multiple fronts<\/a> \u2014 from uncertain federal budgets and global political divides to third-party cyberthreats.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Materials and resources acquired through supply chain partners account for half of the A&D industry\u2019s annual sales, and two-thirds of the industry\u2019s exports. These same suppliers make up more than one-third of the industry\u2019s 2.4 million workers \u2014 an extremely valuable segment of America\u2019s workforce. <\/p>\n\n\n\t