The article argues that recent executive overreach and politicization have severely undermined established norms of U.S. civil-military relations. To restore professional standards, the incoming Congress must actively exercise its oversight powers, moving beyond mere criticism to demanding transparency in defense policy and personnel decisions. Key reforms include enforcing meritocratic promotion processes, requiring documented justification for senior officer removals, and preventing the partisan use of the military. These actions are crucial for bolstering public trust and ensuring the military remains a nonpartisan instrument of civilian control.
America’s Arsenal Problem
English Summary
The U.S. defense industrial base faces critical vulnerabilities requiring integration of emerging technologies (AI, quantum computing, autonomous systems) while maintaining conventional munitions production—a challenge complicated by China's control of critical minerals and rare-earth supply chains and eroded domestic manufacturing capacity. While bipartisan policy initiatives like the National Defense Industrial Strategy show progress, Washington must prioritize rapid technology integration, increase domestic production capacity through advanced manufacturing investments, secure multiyear funding certainty, and aggressively reduce dependence on Chinese supply chains. The article emphasizes that a resilient defense industrial base is essential for deterrence and rapid wartime mobilization, requiring direct government investment, workforce development, and stronger defense industrial cooperation with allies.
中文摘要
美國國防工業基礎面臨關鍵漏洞，亟需整合新興技術（如人工智慧、量子計算、自主系統），同時維持傳統彈藥的生產能力。此挑戰因中國控制關鍵礦物和稀土供應鏈，以及國內製造能力衰退而變得更加複雜。儘管「國家國防工業戰略」等兩黨政策倡議顯示出進展，但華盛頓必須優先加速技術整合、透過先進製造投資提高國內產能、確保多年期資金確定性，並積極減少對中國供應鏈的依賴。本文強調，建立具備韌性的國防工業基礎對於威懾和快速戰時動員至關重要，這需要政府直接投資、勞動力發展，以及與盟國建立更緊密的國防工業合作。
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