Events Detail

The Project on National Security Reform (PNSR) is pleased to invite you to a Roundtable on Interagency Reform discussing a case study on "Future Defense Industry Scenarios" by Sheila Ronis, Leader of the PNSR Vision Working Group.

Wednesday, April 30, 2008; 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM

Please RSVP (affirmative replies only) by sending your name and current institutional affiliation to Richard Weitz at Weitz@hudson.org.

Location: Hudson Institute, Betsy and Walter Stern Conference Center, 1015 15th Street, N.W., 6th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20005

In this future scenario, hypothetical Chinese aggression towards Taiwan provokes a Sino-U.S. military confrontation.  Initially, the technologically superior and network-centric American military is quickly devastated by the Chinese' ability to activate imbedded programming in small electronic connectors.  This process effectively neutralizes the defense, attack, and navigation capabilities within every system on U.S. warships, submarines, and aircraft.  Because Beijing controls two-thirds of the world's supply of these seemingly harmless connective devices, the Chinese are able to deliberately and strategically infiltrate the U.S. military and industrial base and target four of the military's primary weapons systems programs. The purpose of this scenario is to expose flaws and weaknesses within the current U.S. national security apparatus.  It calls attention to potential dangers of overlooking current weaknesses in the U.S. defense industrial base and global supply chain.  The text also highlights the importance of evaluating assumptions and continually assessing novel events.

The Project on National Security Reform (PNSR) is a non-partisan initiative sponsored by the non-profit Center for the Study of the Presidency (CSP). PNSR seeks to improve the U.S. Government's ability to integrate all elements of national power and more effectively respond to the strategic challenges of the 21st century.  Modeled on the historic effort that led to the Goldwater-Nichols legislation, PNSR has established nine working groups that are undertaking a rigorous study of the national security system.  Historical case studies constitute the first element of the study methodology.  These case studies will inform the analytic work of PNSR's other working groups by highlighting recurring trends in the way the U.S. national security system addresses complex national security problems.  Ultimately, PNSR will recommend changes to the National Security Act of 1947, presidential directives to implement other reforms, and new Congressional committee structures and practices.

Attendees at PNSR workshops may use the information as background, but may not identify the speaker, the other attendees, or PNSR itself or quote anything said at the event.

We hope that you can attend,

Richard Weitz, Ph.D., Leader

Case Studies Working Group

Project on National Security Reform