Operationalizing the National Defense Industrial Strategy for great power competition

Payne Institute Director Morgan Bazilian and Fellow Lt. Col. Jahara “Franky” Matisek write about how actions by Moscow and Beijing to secure their own mineral supply chains signal that despite the growing prominence of digital-age economies in the 21st century, economic and military capabilities are still constrained by industrial capacity.  The United States, by contrast, remains an innovator without a foundation.  November 18, 2025.