The 2024 DoD National Defense Industrial Strategy indicates that the industrial base “[..]does not possess the capacity, capability, responsiveness, or resilience required to satisfy the full range of military production needs at speed and scale.” Since defense manufacturing is a system of systems (SoS), traditional readiness frameworks such as Technology or Manufacturing Readiness Levels, primarily focusing on assessing manufacturing maturity at the individual system level, would not provide sufficient insight into the readiness of defense manufacturing (DM).
Driven by those challenges, we developed the Defense Manufacturing Readiness (DMR) tool – an interactive decision support system designed for strategic planning in DM. The DMR tool provides a continuous measurement framework for DM readiness at the SoS level, addressing a critical gap in existing methodologies. To reflect readiness as a perishable ability to develop, produce, deploy, and sustain systems of systems (SoS) for defense missions, we leveraged system dynamics modeling, data analytics, and mission engineering methods. Users can configure variables within the tool to simulate various defense manufacturing strategies, enabling the generation of actionable insights for informed decision-making. Such insights can lead to decisions that ensure the availability of products and services that meet capability requirements to support the warfighter in accomplishing defense missions. Among the initial findings is that coordinating moderate levels of efforts across multiple defense manufacturing systems produces significantly better results than strategies where maximum effort is applied for individual systems.
In conclusion, by leveraging the DMRL tool, defense planners and decision-makers can align their strategies with national objectives and adapt to the dynamic and complex requirements of modern defense manufacturing, thereby enhancing overall readiness and efficiency in defense manufacturing operations.
