Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group

Strengthening our understanding of the relationship between the Department of Defense and its industrial base

DIIG provides timely, in-depth analysis on the critical issues at the cross-section of the Department of Defense and its industrial base. With a focus on defense acquisition trends, technological innovation, security cooperation, and ongoing reform efforts, DIIG monitors important developments in the global defense industry. DIIG’s products consist of major research projects, published reports, commentaries, interviews, and events.

About the Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group

Learn more about the CSIS Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group and the experts and staff that contribute to our analysis.

Cynthia Cook

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Photo: ABCreative/Adobe Stock

Photo: ABCreative/Adobe Stock

Bolstering Collective Resilience in Europe

Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine puts the necessity for European resilience into sharper focus. This brief argues for a new framing of NATO’s approach to resilience to amplify allies’ combined capacity to tackle shared challenges and threats.

Brief by Cynthia Cook and Anna M. Dowd — December 9, 2022

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Photo: Lockheed Martin.

Current Challenges to the Defense Industrial Base

Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group's roundtable discussion on defense industrial base challenges in the context of the Ukraine war.

September 20, 2022

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Defense Acquisition Trends 2019: Army Contract Trends

Army contract spending has been cut heavily during sequestration and the defense drawdown but has been growing at a slow steady rate the last two years. This brief examines trends in what the Army is buying, how the Army is buying, and from whom the Army is buying.

Brief by Rhys McCormick — November 5, 2019

Photo: U.S. Army photo by Spc. Steven Hitchcock

Defense Acquisition Trends 2019: Topline DoD Trends

This report from the CSIS Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group presents analysis of the FY 2018 topline DoD contracting trends, focusing on the defense acquisition system’s response to the 2018 National Defense Strategy and new administration priorities.

Brief by Rhys McCormick — October 10, 2019

Photo: U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Thomas Barley

Implementing Innovation: The 21st Century National Security Innovation Partnership Conference

The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and Northeastern University invite you to attend a half-day public conference titled Implementing Innovation: The 21st Century National Security Innovation Partnership Conference on September 23rd at the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ headquarters-- located at 1616 Rhode Island Avenue, NW, Washington, DC.

Event by Kathleen H. Hicks and Andrew Philip Hunter — September 23, 2019

Acquisition of Software-Defined Hardware-Based Adaptable Systems

Adaptable systems deliver a wide variety of capabilities and grow capability over time to meet DOD’s future needs. Unfortunately, they are hindered by acquisition barriers, but these barriers can be offset by enablers that could ease use of the systems.

Report by Andrew Philip Hunter , Schuyler Moore , and Maura Rose McQuade — August 7, 2019

Photo: DOD PHOTO COURTESY OF U.S. NAVY/RELEASED

What Comes after the ‘Last Supper’?

Raytheon and United Technologies announced plans to merge, representing the biggest defense merger since the “Last Supper” defense consolidation of the 1990s. CSIS defense experts Andrew Hunter and Rhys McCormick look at what this means going forward.

Critical Questions by Andrew Philip Hunter and Rhys McCormick — June 11, 2019

Photo: Department of Defense

Beating the Air into Submission: Investing in Vertical Lift Modernization (Part II)

Future Vertical Lift is an effort to deliver generational change to a fleet of aging helicopters. Until recently, however, investments have been limited relative to overall vertical lift spending. This follow-up CSIS brief looks at how this may change over the next decade.

Brief by Andrew Philip Hunter and Gabriel Coll — May 10, 2019

Photo: National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Tracci Dorgan

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.

Report by Gregory Sanders , Rhys McCormick , and Andrew Philip Hunter — April 15, 2019

Photo: U.S. NAVY PHOTO BY MASS COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST 2ND CLASS JONATHAN CLAY/RELEASED

The Change We Need: Making Defense More Future Proof through Adaptable Systems

Adaptable systems are essentially for DoD to fully leverage the capabilities of existing technologies to meet future warfighting needs, but there are several barriers to greater usage that could be overcome by adopting several existing enablers.

Report by Andrew Philip Hunter and Maura Rose McQuade — March 12, 2019

Photo: US Air Force