Defense Resource Management (Formerly Human Capital) Sept. 18, 2025

Defense Resource Management

The originally designated Defense Resource Management Industry Study assumed responsibility for examining the varied and complex network of actors, processes, legal and regulatory mechanisms, and perspectives that converge at the intersection of resource management (availability, distribution, application), economic performance, and security. At the outset, it became clear that, broadly labeled, Defense Resource Management was not a definable industry with a coherent identity, even though it could be said to share certain important characteristics in common with industry: revenues, markets, customers/clientele, products (goods and services), processes, enterprises (installations and facilities), and workforces, among others. In a deeper sense, it was seen as what some would call a cross-cutting domain consisting of actors/stakeholders, relationships, policies, processes, and practices – basically an enabler or facilitator for all organizations and institutions, military and non-military, public and private. Within this larger set of parameters, the Defense Resource Management Industry Study therefore chose to focus its attention, energies, and activities more specifically on Strategic Human Capital, a richer and more comprehensive concept that both complements and stands independent of financial capital and physical capital. The overarching aim of this more-specifically-focused Industry Study enterprise has become to assess the importance and impact of human capital in contributing to and determining U.S. and international industrial and economic competitiveness (across industries, firms, and countries; for both defense and non-defense purposes; under routine and emergency circumstances). What has resulted is a reaffirmation that strategic human capital’s strength is its centrality in ensuring national security, contributing to economic vitality and competitiveness, and enabling the effective exercise of national power; conversely, its absence can almost inevitably and invariably produce vulnerability across virtually every societal domain.

Finance Sept. 11, 2025

Strengthening Domestic and International Financial Capability to Support U.S. National Security Objectives

The finance industry is a large and intricate system of institutions and services (including banks, investment firms, and financial technology companies) that manage money, handle risk, and power economic activity. It is a cornerstone of the U.S. economy, facilitating capital formation, driving innovation, supporting job creation, and enabling economic growth across all sectors. The U.S. finance industry is also critical to national security because it allows the country to mobilize economic resources, fund defense initiatives, and exert geopolitical influence through financial mechanisms. This complex industry is undergoing rapid transformation, driven by technological disruption, market fragmentation and consolidation, interest rate sensitivity, the growing importance of nonbank financial institutions, and an evolving paradigm of assessing risks with an increasing focus on geopolitical and national security issues. These trends create vulnerabilities that demand examination of specific areas where disruption and strategic risk are concentrated.

Strategic Materials Sept. 11, 2025

From Awareness to Action: Securing U.S. Strategic Materials in an Era of Great Power Competition

The United States faces a mounting national security challenge due to its heavy reliance on foreign‐controlled supply chains for critical minerals that underpin defense systems, clean energy technologies, and advanced manufacturing. Despite policy measures like the CHIPS and Science Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and Executive Order 14241, progress remains uneven. Geopolitical shocks—such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and China’s export restrictions on gallium, germanium, and antimony—have exposed the strategic costs of U.S. inaction. This paper frames the problem by tracing how decades of offshoring and regulatory complexity have left the DIB ill-prepared for a surge in demand during a major crisis.

Advanced Manufacturing Aug. 29, 2025

Embracing the Future: How to Capitalize on Advanced Manufacturing

The United States (U.S.) must revitalize its manufacturing base to maintain national security and economic competitiveness in an era of great power rivalry and technological change. This study by the Eisenhower School’s Industry Study on Advanced Manufacturing (AM) argues that AM technologies—spanning additive manufacturing, advanced materials, industrial artificial intelligence, robotics, the internet of things, digital threads, accelerated computing, advanced modeling and simulations, and augmented reality / virtual reality—are essential for restoring America’s industrial capacity and ensuring the agility and resilience of the defense industrial base (DIB).

Energy Aug. 29, 2025

"Unleashing American Energy" - Positioning American Energy for the Next Century

What does the term “energy” mean? Energy is a physical and strategic asset, essential to powering homes, industries, and national defense, while shaping global economic and geopolitical challenges. Derived from the Greek for “acting force,” energy refers to the capacity to do work, produce heat, or emit light, and exists in mechanical, thermal, electrical, chemical, nuclear, and radiant forms, which are governed by the law of conservation. In the United States, energy applications span transportation, manufacturing, and defense, supported by a vast infrastructure for generation, transmission, distribution, and storage. It is classified into primary sources (directly usable, like crude oil ) and secondary sources (processed, like hydrogen), while further divided into non-renewable (e.g., fossil fuels), renewable (e.g., wind), and nuclear resources, each with distinct implications for energy security and economic stability.

Ground Combat Systems (Formerly Land Combat Systems and Land Domain) Aug. 29, 2025

The Future of U.S. Ground Combat Systems: Maintaining Overmatch Amid Strategic Transition

The United States Ground Combat Systems (GCS) industrial base is at a critical crossroads. Strategic competitors are rapidly modernizing and expanding their capabilities, while the U.S. Department of Defense focuses on a multi-domain operational environment centered on the Indo-Pacific. This paper assesses the current state of the U.S. GCS industrial base, examines the domestic and international trends shaping its future, and provides policy recommendations to help the United States retain overmatch in the land domain.

Microelectronics Aug. 29, 2025

Warfighter Advantage: Securing America's Semiconductor Edge for National Defense

This paper analyzes the critical challenges facing the U.S. semiconductor industry and provides strategic recommendations to strengthen national competitiveness, national security, and technological leadership. It examines four key areas: securing critical inputs, addressing workforce shortages, advancing packaging technologies, and fortifying defense microelectronics. The paper highlights vulnerabilities in the supply chain, the urgent need for domestic talent development, and the importance of reshoring advanced semiconductor production. It also explores how AI-driven manufacturing, wargaming exercises, and policy interventions can mitigate risks and enhance resilience. The proposed solutions, including targeted investments, regulatory reforms, and international collaboration, aim to ensure the United States maintains its semiconductor leadership in the face of growing global competition, particularly with China.

Transportation and Logistics Aug. 29, 2025

Can America’s Supply Lines Hold? Evaluating the Transportation and Logistics Industry’s Readiness for Global Power Projection

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the U.S. transportation and logistics industry, examining its integral role in both the national economy and defense mobilization. Through industry research, expert interviews, and field studies, the study evaluates six key sectors—air freight, deep-sea shipping, ports and harbors, railroads, trucking, and warehousing—identifying strengths and systemic vulnerabilities. The research study’s analysis seeks to ascertain specific focus areas that can help to preserve strengths while mitigating short-and long-term vulnerabilities across the industry. The study first analyzes the transportation industry and its sub-sectors, and then examines the industry’s role in the U.S. economy and national security and mobilization. Next, the study identifies industry issues and concerns for consideration, and finally, provides policy recommendations for potential implementation

Weapons (Formerly Munitions) Aug. 29, 2025

A New Arsenal for A New Era: Balancing Affordable Mass with Exquisite Capabilities

The global weapons landscape is rapidly evolving amid technological innovation and intensifying great power competition. This paper analyzes drones, directed energy weapons (DEWs), and hypersonics and evaluates their strategic value, industrial base characteristics and considerations, and policy implications. Together, these systems form a continuum from affordable mass to exquisite capability, offering complementary tools integrated within a layered defense architecture for future conflict.

Advanced Manufacturing Nov. 30, 2024

Advancing US Manufacturing: National Goals, Strategic Competition, and the Capabilities of Allies and Partners

From November 2023 to May 2024, the Eisenhower School’s Advanced Manufacturing (AM) Industry Study undertook an analysis of current capabilities, policy, and practices regarding domestic and global AM, focused on four key areas: (1) AM technology, (2) workforce, (3) supply chain, and (4) international cooperation and competition focused on Mexico, Canada, India, the European Union (EU), the Russian Federation, and the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Students leveraged frameworks learned during their Industry Analysis and Strategic Acquisition and Resourcing courses during the analysis. The seminar conducted extensive fieldwork in the National Capital Region, as well as targeted studies in the manufacturing hubs of Pittsburgh, Knoxville, Chicago, Indiana, Oregon, and Ontario, Canada. Contributions also came from academic institutions and interactions with international government partners, enhancing the breadth and depth of the research. Throughout the study, the seminar operated with the mindset that AM is a continuous improvement process, not a discrete set of tools, processes, or materials.