What Happened
Pentagon Plans to Expand Domestic Production and Ally Cooperation
The US National Defense Strategy, released in January 2026, outlines a plan to ‘supercharge’ the defense industrial base by expanding domestic production and using factories in allied countries. The strategy prioritizes rebuilding the US defense industrial base, with a focus on developing strategic industries and investing in factories that can produce weapons and ammunition faster and at greater scale. The Pentagon plans to bring in nontraditional suppliers and adopt new technologies like artificial intelligence to support this effort. According to Defence Industry Europe, the strategy also emphasizes the importance of ally cooperation, particularly in Europe, where the US hopes to lower transatlantic trade barriers and expand industrial cooperation.