The Health and Readiness of the Defense Industrial Base 

NEW IN 2022: This is the first Vital Signs report to include data on the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the health of DIB. 

The National Defense Industrial Association’s third annual Vital Signs report is now available. While our main team of authors is based out of Arlington, VA, where the Association is headquartered, our contributing Junior Policy Fellows come from across the nation. We continue to partner with decision-science company, Govini, to produce this report. Learn more about our Vital Signs contributors here.

As a follow-on to Vital Signs 2021, this report delivers another comprehensive assessment of the defense industrial base (DIB) and contributes to the debate about national defense acquisition strategy by offering a common set of indicators — vital signs — of what some have called America’s “sixth service”: the industrial partners who equip our warfighters with their capability advantages.

The report features a collaborative study between NDIA Strategy & Policy and NDIA Emerging Technologies Institute (ETI). With a length of approximately 60 pages, each iteration of the Vital Signs report is able to capture the health of the industrial base in an accessible format for the wider public. Since the report is annual, it serves as an important reference when viewing trends within the DIB and can be used by policymakers, industry professionals, and students alike. See the tables below for more information about the foundational and key elements of Vital Signs 2022.

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If you’re a small or medium-sized manufacturer in the defense industry seeking to expand business and operational capabilities to strengthen the supply chain and create and maintain jobs, we’d love to hear from you. Please fill out the form and we’ll be in touch soon.