Department of Defense: A Departmentwide Framework to Identify and Report Gaps in the Defense Supplier Base Is Needed

摘要

The Department of Defense (DOD) relies on thousands of suppliers to provide weapons, equipment, and raw materials to meet U.S. national security objectives. Yet, increased globalization in the defense industry and consolidation of the defense supplier base into a few prime contractors has reduced competition and single-source suppliers have become more common for components and subsystems. For this report, GAO (1) assessed DOD's efforts to monitor the health of its defense supplier base, and (2) determined how DOD identifies and addresses gaps that might exist in its supplier base. To conduct its work, GAO reviewed supplier-base-related laws, regulations, and guidelines; met with officials from DOD's Office of Industrial Policy, defense contractors, and other DOD officials; and surveyed 20 major DOD weapon acquisition program officials on potential supplier-base gaps. DOD's efforts to monitor its supplier base lack a departmentwide framework and consistent approach. Its monitoring efforts generally respond to individual program supplier-base concerns or are broader assessments of selected sectors. As part of its supplier-base monitoring efforts, DOD has also previously identified lists of critical items--which according to DOD's Office of Industrial Policy (Industrial Policy) do not reflect the dynamic changes that occur in industry, technology, and DOD requirements.