TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The US needs to change how it develops and produces weapons to adapt to modern-day warfare, Michael C. Horowitz, a Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) analyst, said in an article published Monday.
The US military has insufficient weapons systems to fight, particularly in a conflict with China, Horowitz said. He urged the Pentagon and Congress to acquire and deploy precise mass systems, including drones, sensors, and advanced technologies.
“Precise mass systems can be manufactured cheaply, fielded rapidly, expended freely in combat, and sustained readily at scale in wartime,” he said.
Horowitz said that precise mass systems can be quickly expanded within two years because they use commercial manufacturing and simpler designs. Therefore, building up these systems quickly is the most practical way to deter China from using military force, he said.
He recommended giving Pentagon program offices more power to focus on rapid production and use all their allocated funds each year. Meanwhile, the Pentagon should address issues that are slowing production, including upgrading factories that make key parts and stockpiling items that take a long time to produce.
US supply chains also need to be more resilient, Horowitz said. By supporting alternative suppliers, the Pentagon can strengthen the smaller manufacturers that major defense companies rely on, he said.
The analyst also urged the US to accept more risk when investing in low-cost, expendable capabilities. “These systems will be updated quickly as technology evolves, as opposed to submarines or aircraft carriers designed to last for decades.”
The US must coordinate its strategy, budgets, and output goals, Horowitz said, adding that clear long-term demand lets industry plan ahead and grow faster. Relying solely on annual budget cycles to procure US weapons creates uncertainty, especially since Congress often relies on short-term funding measures rather than full-year budgets, he said.
