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Published: 1982

Total Pages: 34

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The capacity of this nation's industrial base for defense has been questioned repeatedly in recent years. 1,2,3,4 Especially among suppliers of components and subsystems, the ranks of defense contractors have thinned over the past decade, lead times are long, and production of defense systems is often slowed by lagging component deliveries. Thousands of suppliers dropped out of the defense market during the 197Os, and others are reported to be reluctant to gear up for new military production, fearing another slump like that in the early 197Os. The intricacies and reporting burdens of defense contracts are also blamed for inhibiting companies from seeking military business. The machine tool industry is critical to the success of a defense buildup, yet many question whether the industry is prepared to meet such an event. The weapons, aircraft, and other materiel that may be required by new national policies will contain many parts of complex design and novel materials, which will require new tools and techniques for their effective manufacture. However, there is reason to believe that the domestic machine tool industry will find it difficult to adjust to demands for new technology and that, over the longer term, it will not expand its output enough to meet growing demand.