{"id":59645,"date":"2018-05-22T18:00:22","date_gmt":"2018-05-22T18:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2018\/05\/22\/findings-on-the-defense-industrial-bases-weaknesses-reach-the-white-house\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T00:27:10","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T00:27:10","slug":"findings-on-the-defense-industrial-bases-weaknesses-reach-the-white-house","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/industry\/2018\/05\/22\/findings-on-the-defense-industrial-bases-weaknesses-reach-the-white-house\/","title":{"rendered":"Findings on the defense-industrial base\u2019s weaknesses reach the White House"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2015 A presidentially ordered review of the defense-industrial base has been completed by the Pentagon and submitted to the White House for comment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In response to an inquiry by Defense News, Pentagon spokeswoman Lt. Col. Michelle Baldanza confirmed it has been completed at the defense level and is undergoing interagency review.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The report, requested by President Donald Trump in July 2017, is expected to be made fully public when published. It is expected to focus on identifying unhealthy areas in the industrial base or weak spots in the supply chain. That review falls under the overarching idea, pushed heavily by White House Director of Trade and Industrial Policy Peter Navarro, that \u201ceconomic security is national security<\/a>.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Trump review is unrelated to a newly released report<\/a> by the Pentagon\u2019s Office of Manufacturing and Industrial Base Policy, but is likely to cover much of the same ground. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last month, undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment Ellen Lord told reporters she expects the industrial base review to be completed around May 15. She also indicated that document will raise several red flags about China\u2019s influence on the industrial base.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have an amazing amount of dependency on China,\u201d Lord said at the time. \u201cWe are sole sources for rare earth minerals, some energetics, different things. This is a problem for us as we move forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo we will be coming out with a whole series of actions we\u2019re taking as the government to make sure we work with our allies and partners if we don\u2019t have the capability domestically so that we don\u2019t have that dependency on China.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t