<p><a href="https://breakingdefense.com/2026/06/built-for-another-era-our-air-and-missile-defense-industrial-base-needs-more-builders/"><img alt="Ursa Major - Our air-and-missile-defense industrial base was built for another era — and today's threats are exposing gaps in real time. Ursa Major CEO Chris Spagnoletti tells us about new ways to design, build, and field munitions and hypersonics." class="attachment-large size-large wp-post-image" height="576" src="https://breakingdefense.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2026/06/Ursa-Major-Video-Interview-thumbnail-1024x576.jpg" style="height: auto!important;" width="1024" /></a></p><p>[Sponsored] The US hasn’t been able to fully meet its air-and-missile-defense requirements through its traditional suppliers.</p>
US Air Defense Industrial Base Gaps Exposed by New Threats
The United States' industrial capacity for air and missile defense is demonstrably struggling to meet contemporary global demands, revealing critical vulnerabilities in national security. This deficiency extends beyond mere production bottlenecks, highlighting an urgent need for a diversified and more agile manufacturing ecosystem. Without intervention, operational readiness and the ability to deter rapidly evolving threats, including hypersonics, are directly imperiled.
This strategic shortfall emerges amidst an increasingly volatile geopolitical landscape, characterized by resurgent peer competition and the proliferation of advanced strike capabilities. The existing defense industrial structure, largely optimized for a bygone era, is now ill-equipped to sustain the pace and scale of modern conflict requirements.
- US air and missile defense manufacturing capacity is currently insufficient for contemporary global demands.
- The industrial base design, optimized for past strategic environments, lacks the agility for modern conflicts.
- Over-reliance on a limited number of traditional defense contractors exposes critical supply chain vulnerabilities.
- There is an urgent imperative for diversifying and integrating new, agile defense manufacturers into the ecosystem.
- Innovation in munition and hypersonic system design and production processes is crucial for future readiness.
Why this matters: This industrial base deficit directly undermines operational readiness and strategic deterrence, risking the United States' ability to effectively counter advanced threats and support allies. Failure to adapt jeopardizes military superiority, potentially emboldening adversaries who are rapidly scaling their own defense production and technological advancements. The issue transcends simple output; it demands a fundamental shift in defense manufacturing strategy.
The current state of the U.S. air and missile defense industrial base represents a critical strategic vulnerability with far-reaching implications for national security and global stability. Its inability to sufficiently meet current requirements directly impacts military readiness, potentially leaving vital assets and personnel exposed. This challenge transcends technical capability alone, revealing a systemic issue where reliance on established, often monolithic, contractors has stifled the agility and surge capacity needed for the current threat environment. The advent of advanced munitions and hypersonic weapons further complicates this landscape, demanding rapid innovation and scaled production that the legacy system struggles to deliver.
This situation echoes historical precedents where nations faced the challenge of retooling their industrial might to meet evolving warfare demands, most notably during the lead-up to and during major global conflicts. The current trend necessitates a fundamental rethinking of defense industrial policy, moving away from a slow, deliberate procurement model towards one that embraces rapid iteration, diversification, and scalability. Experts increasingly advocate for a "whole-of-nation" approach, actively engaging a broader spectrum of private-sector innovators, including smaller and mid-sized firms, to inject fresh perspectives and capabilities into the defense ecosystem, ensuring resilience and adaptability for future conflicts.
