Acquisition Trends, 2018: Defense Contract Spending Bounces Back
This analysis provides critical insights into understanding the current trends in the defense industrial base and the implications of those trends on acquisition policy.
Samantha Cohen
is a research associate in the Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group at CSIS.
Acquisition Trends, 2018: Defense Contract Spending Bounces Back
This report analyzes the current state of affairs in defense acquisition by combining detailed policy and data analysis to provide a comprehensive overview and critical insights into the current and future outlook for the defense acquisition system.
The Year of the Industrial Base
The industrial base review coupled with policy and strategy documents gives DoD and its inter-agency network a great deal of homework for the upcoming year. While it is clear that the Department will be rigorously working toward supporting and reinvigorating industries as well as deeply engaging with its partners and allies, it will have to overcome the challenge of the competing interests associated with these two core strategic goals.
Acquisition Trends 2018: Executive Summary
Acquisition Trends 2018: Defense Contract Spending Bounces Back analyzes the current state of affairs in defense contracting at a time when the defense acquisition system sits at an inflection point. Defense contracting has rebounded these past two years, but there are unanswered questions about continued defense budget growth and the long-term effects of the last few years’ acquisition reform efforts.
Bad Idea: Managing Government Like a Business
The strategy of ‘deal-making’ is a hallmark of the political approach employed by the Trump administration and some in Congress. But a deal-making approach is a simple-minded strategy for public policy that disregards crucial implications and complexities that are inherent in politics, that can have negative implications for national security interests.