Partners in Production: U.S.-Middle East Cooperation to Enhance Our Collective Defense Industrial Base

America’s global security challenges are more complex and volatile than at any point since World War II. The rapid pace of change, significant geopolitical disruption, and deepening alignment of our adversaries are among the defining characteristics of the strategic landscape. In this environment, the United States and our allies are challenged to effectively deter conflict and respond if deterrence fails. One of the specific challenges we must address is the lack of capacity in our collective industrial base.

The recent conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza have highlighted the inability of the current U.S. and allied defense industrial base (DIB) to meet the demands of high-end combat operations. The challenge is particularly acute if we consider the need for the United States to engage in extended conflict or support simultaneous combat operations in multiple geographic regions.

Growing the capability and capacity of the DIB to support the United States, our allies, and our partners will require a global approach. But there is a unique opportunity now to enhance the capacity of our partners in the Middle East, and thus our collective capacity as well.

Our Middle East partners have all expressed the need to bolster their capabilities to defend themselves. They have also significantly increased their defense spending. The United States can help accelerate these positive trends by supporting our partners in developing and maintaining sufficient defense production capacity, resilient supply chains, and access to technology.

Capitalizing on this high ceiling for mutually beneficial growth, and doing so with an urgency to match the pressing challenges from our shared adversaries, also entails a dose of pragmatism. The United States and its regional partners should adopt a “crawl, walk, run” approach that starts with relatively simple but crucial efforts to initiate joint procurement and co-production of basic but critical minerals and strategic materials, components for weapons systems, and attritable munitions. These endeavors can then generate momentum toward more ambitious joint efforts.

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Report Authors
Gen. Joseph F. Dunford, Jr., USMC (ret.)
19th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Amb. Eric Edelman
JINSA Distinguished Scholar; Former Undersecretary of Defense for Policy

Jonathan Ruhe
JINSA Director of Foreign Policy