BREAKING: Report Sends ‘Wake-Up Call’ for Health of Defense Industrial Base

[rangerrebew]

BREAKING: Report Sends ‘Wake-Up Call’ for Health of Defense Industrial Base
2/2/2022
By Mikayla Easley
 

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, cybersecurity attacks and supply chain disruptions have weakened the United States’ already declining defense industrial base, according to a new report released Feb. 2.

In the annual report —“Vital Signs 2022: The Health and Readiness of the Defense Industrial Base” — the defense sector received an overall “unsatisfactory, failing” grade of 69. This marks the first time the DIB has not received a passing grade since Vital Signs was first released in 2020.

Vital Signs is an annual study published by the National Defense Industrial Association in partnership with decision science company Govini. NDIA is also publisher of National Defense.

“While technically one point short of a pass mark, specific signs provide cause for real concern,” the report read.  The report’s final score of 69 was three points lower than last year’s score of 72.

“This failing score is a wake-up call to all the decision makers on Capitol Hill and the executive branch and the [Department of Defense] that care about national security and this nation,” NDIA President and CEO Hawk Carlisle said during a press conference unveiling the report.

https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2022/2/2/report-acts-as-wake-up-call-for-declining-health-of-us-defense-industrial-base

[SZonian]

There isn't much in the way of historical relevance or significance here...the program is not quite 2 years old and last year was a 72 rating...if the program was years or decades old and average scores had been in the 80s or 90s consistently, I might bite.  The mandate hit our company pretty hard...there was a slew of retirements where there wasn't going to be, so a lot of experience left.

As it is, I do see problems in the industry, mainly nepotism leading to "wonder kids" being promoted and appointed to positions they have no business holding.  They fail at every level, yet are moved on up the chain.

A very old, yet important program I work on received its lowest customer rating in over 10 years this past year.  The manager was "promoted" into another position...

As I see it, there's a lack of a real leadership and a serious morale problem within the industry that compounds many of the problems seen in some of the areas noted.  Our company is actually talking about retention issues for the first time in close to 20 years but I believe they are incapable of seeing where the real problems lie.