Columbia International Affairs Online: Working Papers

CIAO DATE: 02/2015

Leveraging Global Value Chains for a Federated Approach to Defense

Scott Miller, Ryan Crotty, Paul Nadeau, David J. Berteau

December 2014

Center for Strategic and International Studies

Abstract

Buttressing any form of federated defense must be a set of bottom-up, organic interactions within the private sector to develop the capabilities that will underpin these security architectures. This report focuses on the ways that a federated approach can strengthen strategic partnerships and deliver more innovative defense technologies at a lower cost—by better harnessing global supply chain networks to expand the military supplier base and increase the net capability available to the network of partners and allies. The expansion of business-to-business relationships among providers of platforms, supplies, and services to these militaries is a key building block in ensuring adequate capabilities development, integration, and interoperability. To date, this interaction has occurred despite the many barriers that exist to their success. A federated approach will seek to enable this cooperation and lower these barriers.