The United States struggles to develop, produce, and field new capabilities quickly and at scale. This problem has several causes, most notably weaknesses in the defense industrial base and the Department of Defense’s sclerotic requirements, budgeting, and acquisition processes. Despite a decade of reform efforts, the way that the Department of Defense acquires its new capabilities has not improved as hoped. The Defense Program’s research focuses on better aligning resources to defense strategy, and on building and fielding a force capable of deterring threats over time.
Event
Virtual Event | Stuck in the Cul-de-Sac: How U.S. Defense Spending Prioritizes Innovation over Deterrence
Carlton Haelig, Philip Sheers
Oct 23, 2025
Research Team
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Stacie Pettyjohn
Senior Fellow and Director, Defense Program
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Susanna V. Blume
Distinguished Senior Fellow, Defense Program
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Carlton Haelig
Fellow, Defense Program
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Philip Sheers
Research Associate, Defense Program
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Molly Campbell
Research Assistant, Defense Program
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Kalena Blake
Research Assistant, Defense Program
Highlights
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Stuck in the Cul-de-Sac
Reports
For more than a decade, the United States has sought to modernize its military to deter China, but it has become stuck in a developmental cul-de-sac that has allowed China to ...
By Carlton Haelig & Philip Sheers
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From Production Lines to Front Lines
Reports
Executive Summary The U.S. defense industrial base (DIB) is struggling to meet the demands of the current strategic environment—let alone prepare for a potential conflict agai...
By Becca Wasser & Philip Sheers
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CNAS Insights | Budgetary Own Goals Undermine “Speed and Volume”
Commentary
On November 7, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth laid out a plan to overhaul the Department of Defense’s (DOD’s) acquisition system. Placing an emphasis on delivering new capa...
By Philip Sheers, Carlton Haelig & Stacie Pettyjohn
