Pentagon nominee Stephen Feinberg calls for revolutionary approach to defense production by enlisting American manufacturing giants to counter China’s growing military threat.
This is the kind of thing we used to do…during wartime.
At a Glance
- Feinberg advocates for involving major manufacturers like Ford and GM in defense production to strengthen US military capabilities
- The nominee warns that China is “incredibly determined” to achieve military dominance over the United States
- He identifies critical shortfalls in US defense including shipbuilding, nuclear modernization, and cyber defense
- Feinberg pledges to scrutinize Pentagon spending to eliminate waste and improve efficiency
- The current defense production is dominated by five major companies that Feinberg considers “too consolidated”
Expanding America’s Defense Industrial Base
Stephen Feinberg, nominee for Deputy Defense Secretary under President Trump, presented a bold vision for strengthening America’s defense industrial base during his Senate confirmation hearing. Feinberg, the Co-Founder and CEO of Cerberus Capital Management, emphasized the urgent need to broaden defense production beyond the current five dominant contractors—Lockheed Martin, Boeing, RTX, Northrop Grumman, and General Dynamics—by bringing in manufacturing powerhouses like General Motors and Ford.
We’ve done this before, by the way.
During the Second World War.
The nominee highlighted the dangers of relying on a limited number of defense contractors, suggesting this consolidation has weakened America’s military readiness at a time when foreign threats are multiplying. His proposal represents a significant shift in Pentagon procurement strategy that could reshape the defense industry landscape while potentially creating new opportunities for American manufacturing.
During his testimony, Feinberg painted a stark picture of the national security challenges facing the United States, particularly from China. He emphasized the need for immediate action to address various shortfalls in America’s defense capabilities that could be exploited by adversaries. The nominee detailed specific vulnerabilities in shipbuilding, nuclear modernization, aircraft development, cyber defense, hypersonic, space defense, and drone countermeasures.
“China is incredibly determined, they feel a great sense of urgency, and they’ll be fully dedicated to becoming the strongest nation in the world and having dominance over the United States,” Feinberg said.
Pretty terrifying, huh?
The Deputy Defense Secretary nominee outlined a pragmatic approach to revitalizing the defense industrial base by streamlining procurement processes and engaging non-traditional partners. He advocated for faster, more scalable development methods similar to those used in the private sector, which could dramatically reduce the time needed to field new capabilities.
“I would go to big manufacturing companies, give them a shot on new problems if we think their capabilities can meet it. To give them a shot without a wide-scale competition with all our big defense companies, which, by the way, are too consolidated,” Feinberg added.
America is at a crossroads – and now might be the time to produce enough weapons to ensure that Russia and China don’t try their luck.
