Defense Conversion; Transforming the Arsenal of Democracy

xiv, 277, [5] pages. Tables. Name written in black on bottom edge. Ink mark and crease on page 82. Some wear and soiling. Includes Foreword, Preface, Notes, Index, and About the Author. Chapters include The Challenge; The Cold War Defense Industry; Growing Foreign Involvement; Initial Post-Cold War Developments; Prior Lessons of Industrial Conversion; The Best Structure for the Twenty-First Century; A Few Defense-Unique Plants; Current Barriers to Integration; A Three-Part Transformation Strategy; Technological Leadership; The Critical Work Force; and Achieving Civil/Military Integration. Author of two widely read books on the defense industry, Jacques Gansler takes a hard look at the need to convert the industry from an inefficient and non-competitive part of the U.S. economy to an integrated, civilian/military operation. He defines the challenges, especially the influence of old-line defense interests, and presents examples of restructuring. He concludes by outlining sixteen specific actions for achieving civil/military integration. As a researcher, Dr. Gansler focused on national security and ensuring the country had a world class and affordable defense industry. His contributions to academia came after a remarkable career in defense. Jack Gansler served as the under secretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics. As the third ranking civilian at the Pentagon from 1997 to 2001, Dr. Gansler was responsible for research and development, acquisition reform, advanced technology, the defense industry and several security programs over his career. Gansler discusses growing foreign involvement, lessons of prior industrial conversions, the best structure for the next century, current barriers to integration, a three-part transformation strategy, the role of technological leadership, and the critical workforce. He concludes by outlining sixteen specific actions for achieving civil/military integration. In Gansler's view, the end of the Cold War with the former Soviet Union represents a permanent downturn rather than a cyclical decline in the defense budget. He argues that this critical transition period requires a restructuring of the defense acquisitions process to achieve a balance between economic concerns and national security, while maintaining a force size and equipment modernization capable of deterring future conflicts. Gansler argues that for the defense industry to survive and thrive, the government must make its acquisitions process more flexible, specifically by lowering barriers to integration. This includes, among other things, rethinking the production specifications for new equipment and changing bids for contracts from a cost basis to a price basis. Gansler point out that by making primarily political and procedural changes (rather than legislative ones), companies will be able to produce technology for both civilian and military markets, instead of exclusively for one or the other as has been the norm. This dual-use approach would save the government billions of dollars annually and would enable the military to diversify by utilizing state-of-the-art. First MIT Press Paperback Edition, Third Printing [stated].…