SVG
Commentary
Wall Street Journal

The Pentagon Can’t Wait to Innovate

mike_gallagher
mike_gallagher
Distinguished Fellow
U.S. Navy members assigned to Unmanned Undersea Vehicle Flotilla 1 conduct troubleshooting and maintenance measures on the Razorback UUV before it is launched for an exercise aboard U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Forward (WMEC 911) in the Atlantic Ocean, Aug. 26, 2023.
Caption
US Navy members conduct troubleshooting and maintenance measures on the Razorback UUV in the Atlantic Ocean on August 26, 2023. (US Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Mikaela McGee)

The U.S. faces grave national-security threats around the globe. Conflicts in the Middle East and Europe, combined with a shifting balance of power in the Indo-Pacific, embolden America’s adversaries and threaten the free world. If the U.S. doesn’t act swiftly to ensure our technological edge, we’ll risk further deterrence failures and the erosion of international freedom.

China and Russia are expanding their global influence through conventional military power and advances in manufacturing and critical technology. The U.S. is unlikely to adopt industrial policy or match our enemies in sheer production volume. That’s OK; our path forward instead lies in America’s capacity to innovate.