Defense Industrial Base

SMI’s Defense Industrial Base Practice aligns government, industry, and capital to address supply chain vulnerabilities, accelerate dual-use innovation, and expand the domestic manufacturing capacity needed for national defense.

A strong, resilient defense industrial base is essential to maintaining U.S. military readiness, deterring adversaries, and ensuring that warfighters have reliable access to the technologies, materials, and systems they need. From advanced manufacturing, energetics, secure microelectronics, batteries, and critical minerals to shipbuilding, hypersonics, space systems, unmanned platforms, and additive manufacturing, the nation’s defense supply chain depends on companies across every tier of industry. Many of these suppliers operate deep within the supply chain, where their capabilities—and vulnerabilities—may not be fully visible to government decision-makers. Working effectively with the Department of War, Congress, prime contractors, and other stakeholders is therefore critical to strengthening domestic capacity, reducing supply chain risk, and accelerating the transition of innovative technologies into defense production.

SMI has a long history of helping companies, universities, nonprofit organizations, and coalitions navigate the policy, procurement, and funding landscape that supports the defense industrial base. Our advantage comes from combining deep knowledge of defense manufacturing programs with relationships across the Department of War, the military services, Congress, prime contractors, and the broader national security community. Rather than relying on a single office or funding pathway, SMI develops integrated strategies that raise client visibility, align capabilities with government priorities, and position clients for opportunities through programs such as the Defense Production Act Title III, Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment, Manufacturing Technology and other R&D programs, and relevant defense authorization and appropriations processes.

SMI supports Defense Industrial Base clients by translating technical strengths into compelling government-facing strategies and by connecting those strategies to policy, funding, and partnership opportunities. Our team brings experience in defense policy, manufacturing readiness, supply chain resilience, technology transition, congressional engagement, and federal program development and funding. We help clients identify where their capabilities meet urgent national security needs, communicate that value to the right stakeholders, pursue growth opportunities, and shape policies that expand capacity and strengthen domestic production. Through this work, SMI helps clients contribute to a more capable, secure, and responsive defense industrial base while advancing their own long-term growth and federal market success.

Defense Industrial Base Practice Area Lead: Mark Gillman