US Defense Industrial Base Constrained By Lack Of Skilled Workers - Ex-Military Officials

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 24th October, 2022) The US defense industrial base is being constrained by a shortage of talent, from software engineers to trade workers, as the administration tries to push the pace and scale of production of equipment and weapons, former military officials told Sputnik.

The United States' ongoing efforts to arm Ukraine with $17.6 billion worth of military equipment to date, on top of other global security challenges, has exposed vulnerabilities in the US defense industrial base.

"The fact is that when I started flying fighter jets for the Air Force, we were two, to two-and-a-half generations ahead of anybody else, and now, we're roughly a half to three quarters of a generation ahead, and that gap is closing precipitously ever faster," former Pentagon official Wesley Hallman told Sputnik.

Hallman, a 27-year Air Force veteran, served in the Pentagon for the Joint Chief of Staff's strategic plans and policy directorate. Hallman, who is currently running for a US House seat in this year's midterm elections to represent California's 28th congressional district, also worked as the Chief Air Force Liaison to the House of Representatives where he worked with lawmakers on national security matters.

"If you look across the board at the defense industrial base, it's a time of great change," Hallman said. "It's a great change that hadn't been really factored in or considered when we were developing the current workforce that's coming online now."

The bottom line, Hallman said, is that the United States has not invested in the workforce to match the scale and pace that is required.

Hallman said Assistant Secretary of Defense for Acquisition Ellen Lord used to say in the future US military capabilities were going to be "software-defined and hardware-enabled."

US defense companies are trying to compete for software engineers who are mostly lured by startups and other big Names in tech, he said.

"So the competition for those folks is high for a supply that is low," Hallman said.

Hallman also explained that the United States has spent the last two generations bombarding parents and kids about the need to purse a four-year education at a university, ignoring the need to maintain a relevant workforce with trade skills.

"So we've got the software engineers and the techies that we're going to need to be able to design and code and do all that other stuff to make sure that we're getting what we need as a defense industrial base, and then on the other side, we have under invested and really de-incentivized those jobs that actually build things," Hallman said.

US companies in general are having a really hard time getting the metal vendors, the welders, the plumbers, the electricians, Hallman added.

"You can see that in shipbuilding... and then in Northrop trying to hire for the B-21 program," Hallman said. "What you get is a lot of poaching within the defense industrial base, because there's just not enough of those people to go around."

Florida State University business professor David King, who previously managed aircraft procurement for the US Air Force, said the problem is the demographics of people working for defense contractors and a skill gap for manufacturing.

"A decade ago the average age of defense workers were nearing retirement. Based on tour observation of defense firm complaints, that problem has arrived," King said.

IMPACT ON STOCKPILES, DETERRENCE

King also said the skill gap in the trades is an ongoing concern that can impact US weapons production.

Hallman believes the workforce issues will affect the US military's ability to replenish stockpiles and those of allies, including Ukraine. Hallman said one defense contractor told him it could take two years to get a line up and running for some munitions.

The former military official, however, said the United States should be able to maintain an ability to deter China and Russia with respect to conventional warfare.

Russia's experience in Ukraine, he added, may have given China pause, but has not changed Beijing's long-term goals.

The United States will need to focus on developing enough capacity to surge military equipment to allies and partners in the Western Pacific region, Hallman said, adding that it is a bit of a challenge that the United States is facing.

"We've had a low-risk mentality on doing these things, we have to regain an appetite for smart failure, and we have to regain an appetite for moving fast," Hallman said. "We really need to get after that if we're going to maintain the advantages that we've enjoyed post-World War II."