Jerry McGinn: Allies Can Play a Role to Strengthen US Defense Industrial Base

Jerry McGinn, executive director of the Center for Government Contracting at George Mason University’s School of Business and a 2021 Wash100 Award winner, said the White House should reaffirm the importance of allies and partners in efforts to address defense industrial base resilience.

McGinn told Government Matters host Francis Rose in an interview posted Tuesday he believes the expansion of the “buy American” policy with the inclusion of allies would be a “win-win approach.”

He said the U.S. should strengthen existing industrial base initiatives to encourage participation of allies and partners and provide opportunities that companies can go after for them to work with allies. Those programs include the National Technology and Industrial Base, Defense Production Act Title III and the Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment Program.

“We already have the frameworks in place. Let’s really kind of give some really concrete opportunities that companies can seize on and we can work together with our close partners and allies,” McGinn added.

The House Armed Services Committee’s Defense Critical Supply Chain Task Force issued its final report Thursday outlining its six recommendations for the Pentagon. The task force recommended that the Department of Defense strengthen its ability to partner with allies through the National Technology and Industrial Base.

ExecutiveBiz, sister site of GovCon Wire and part of the Executive Mosaic digital media umbrella, will host a virtual event about securing the supply chain on Oct. 26. Visit ExecutiveBiz.com to sign up for the “Supply Chain Cybersecurity: Revelations and Innovations” event.

Sponsor