By: Christian Zur
As Congress takes up the annual defense budget, it is worth acknowledging the comfort and quality of life to which we are accustomed owes its legacy in no small part to the collaborative force of the greatest public-private partnership in American history: the defense-industrial base.
Those who would downplay this partnership may not fully grasp the extent to which the U.S. has benefited immeasurably beyond its immediate national security needs. From safe and reliable commercial aviation, to cancer research and treatment, to the internet itself, the innovation that has supported our military over the decades have simultaneously enhanced the lives of all Americans.
The advantages accrued by the nation’s investment in technology have not always been readily apparent, and the relationship has not always been easy or straightforward. The U.S. military often has to create an industrial capability where once there was none.
To read more, click here.
