AUVSI Statement to Congress: Rebuilding the Arsenal of Democracy

December 6, 2024

This week, the U.S. House of Representatives held a hearing on, “Rebuilding the Arsenal of Democracy: The Imperative to Strengthen America’s Defense Industrial Base and Workforce.” AUVSI submitted comments for the official Committee hearing record, and Advocacy member Anduril Industries testified in person as a hearing witness.
Why the U.S. Needs an Uncrewed Arsenal
Strategic competitors like China are building military assets at a pace that puts the U.S. and its allies at a severe disadvantage. Multiple unclassified war games and real-world conflicts reveal that modern warfare rapidly depletes munitions, drones, and other platforms. Without sufficient production capacity, supply chains, or acquisition reform, the U.S. risks being outgunned and unprepared.
Drawing inspiration from America’s WWII “Arsenal of Democracy,” we must replicate the same industrial mobilization to meet today’s challenges. The rapid production of aircraft, tanks, and munitions proved that collaboration between government and industry can decisively alter the course of history. Today, the focus must be on uncrewed systems: Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS or drones), Uncrewed Underwater Vehicles (UUVs), Uncrewed Surface Vehicles (USVs), and Uncrewed Ground Vehicles (UGVs).

AUVSI’s Recommendations
Our comments included 5 recommendations regarding how the U.S. can build resilient supply chains and reduce reliance on foreign components for critical technologies:

Scale Production Immediately
Reform Acquisition Processes
Strengthen the Industrial Base
Commit to Long-Term Funding
Preposition for Deterrence

Read AUVSI’s full comments here.