Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks highlighted the need for the Department of Defense, Congress and the U.S. defense industrial base to work together to accelerate the production and delivery of military capabilities to warfighters to enable them to deter aggression and win in the event of a conflict.
“Because production matters. Production is deterrence,” Hicks, a 2024 Wash100 awardee, said Wednesday at a summit in Washington, D.C.
During the event, the deputy DOD secretary cited some of the administration’s investments to strengthen the country’s defense industrial base, including $24.7 billion for multiyear procurement of long-range anti-ship missiles and other key munitions, $12.9 billion for industrial base infrastructure and facilities and $10.3 billion for microelectronics.
She also cited the negative impact of continuing resolutions on defense innovation and modernization efforts.
Hicks mentioned the president’s fiscal year 2025 budget proposal, which includes a procurement budget of $167.5 billion.
“All of these investments and more have been aligned with the needs of our National Defense Strategy, and the National Defense Industrial Strategy that builds upon it,” she stated.