Rebuilding Our Arsenal with Allies: A Strategic Imperative for U.S. Security and Prosperity

As the United States navigates intensifying geopolitical competition with China, Russia, and Iran, the time has come to reassert American leadership by rebuilding and regionalizing our military-industrial base both at home and with our most trusted allies. The upcoming defense budget and reconciliation process present a critical opportunity for President Trump and Congress to deliver on the “America First” doctrine through a renewed commitment to Foreign Military Sales (FMS), targeted Military Construction (MILCON), foreign direct investment (FDI), and public-private partnerships.

This is not just about projecting power, it is about preserving peace, deterring aggression, and driving economic growth.

Key strategic partners like the Philippines, South Korea, Romania, and Poland stand ready. These nations have proven themselves dependable allies, geographically positioned on the frontlines of today’s most pressing flashpoints—from the South China Sea and the Korean Peninsula to NATO’s eastern flank. They are increasing defense spending, improving interoperability, and welcoming deeper defense cooperation with the United States. Now America needs action through joint investment in munitions manufacturing, logistics hubs, drone production lines, and medical infrastructure that will make our combined forces faster, more agile, and more resilient.

History teaches us that logistics, what we now call “supply chain,” wins wars. From the Normandy beaches to Operation Desert Storm, success has hinged not only on military might, but on the infrastructure that sustains it. Fuel depots, ammunition stockpiles, repair facilities, adequate spare parts and tools, a cadre of qualified civil servants, contractors, and troops, and forward-operating bases are not “nice to have,” they are foundational. In today’s era of great power competition, we must treat them as such.

Co-producing weapons and support systems with allied nations yields exceptional   returns. An artillery shell built in Poland or a drone assembled in Manila reduces the burden on U.S. factories while expanding allied capabilities. This frees American industrial capacity for domestic stockpile replenishment and expands exports. It’s a win-win: America must strengthen deterrence while creating jobs in defense manufacturing in North America, and across both the Atlantic and Pacific.

But these efforts will stall unless we fix the broken FMS process. America’s arms sales system is slow, outdated, and tangled in red tape; leaving allies waiting years for equipment they have already paid for. Meanwhile, adversaries like China and Russia exploit these delays to erode U.S. influence and market share.

President Trump and Congress have a unique opportunity to lead reform. A new FMS model, modeled after our effective sanctions coordination architecture, could centralize interagency decision-making and streamline delivery. By integrating the Departments of Defense, State, Treasury, Commerce, intelligence agencies, and Congress into a unified task force, we can cut through bureaucratic inertia, increase speed, and ensure accountability.

Representative Ryan Zinke (R-MT), a decorated Navy SEAL and former Secretary of the Interior, understands the urgency of this moment. His leadership, along with bipartisan support in the House and the Senate, could be the catalyst for the first major FMS overhaul in decades.

This transformation also aligns squarely with the America First doctrine. Rather than relying solely on large-scale troop deployments, we empower partners to defend themselves with American-made technology. This strengthens our global posture while reducing the risks and costs of extended U.S. engagement. Japan, Israel, and Taiwan have shown how indigenous defense capabilities supported by U.S. systems will enhance regional stability. The same model must now be extended to the Philippines, Romania, South Korea, Poland, and other frontline democracies.

Public-private partnerships will play a pivotal role. U.S. defense contractors and technology firms can collaborate with allied governments and industries to co-develop next-generation systems in aerospace, cyber, missile defense, and battlefield medicine. These partnerships not only accelerate innovation but build long-term political and economic goodwill.

Moreover, distributed manufacturing across allied territories mitigates global supply chain vulnerabilities, many of which were exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic and exacerbated by Chinese economic coercion. By regionalizing production and aligning with reliable partners, we strengthen national resilience and ensure supply chain integrity in future conflicts or crises.

This is more than strategic foresight; it is national security necessity.

As Congress continues to negotiate the defense appropriations and reconciliation packages, initial funding for MILCON and FMS expansion in key allied nations must be prioritized this year and in future years. These are not discretionary line items, they are signals of American resolve and commitment. Investing in ammunition plants, forward logistics hubs, and co-production facilities tells allies and adversaries alike that the United States is serious about defending peace through strength.

In an era of uncertainty, the solution is within reach. With bold leadership from President Trump and decisive congressional action, America can once again become the arsenal of democracy; this time, not alone, but together with our allies.

The threats are urgent in the Pacific, the Middle East and Europe. The moment is now. America must act with purpose, partnership, and power. 

James Durso (@James_Durso) served as a U.S. Navy officer for 20 years specializing in logistics and security assistance. His overseas military postings were in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, and he served in Iraq as a civilian transport advisor with the Coalition Provisional Authority. He was a professional staff member at the 2005 Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission and the Commission on Wartime Contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

Christopher Harvin (@cmharvin) served as a Former Advisor to the Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Veteran Affairs, the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq and as an advisor to the Donald J. Trump for President Campaign in 2016. He is the Managing Partner at GlobalPoint International.

The featured image was generated by an AI program and highlights the central role of logistics in empowering military operations.