When American A&D Wins, the World Wins
The American aerospace and defense (A&D) industry is known for our innovation, dedication to excellence, and cutting-edge capabilities — seen on full display here at the Singapore Airshow. We build the best products in the world — and we source the best products from the world. Our industry is the ultimate example of an interconnected world, and we rely on a secure, resilient, and diverse global supply chain to be the best.
The A&D supply chain is incredibly complex. It involves a spiderweb of suppliers from across the globe working together, supported by a highly trained global workforce, to create advanced equipment for use in aviation, space exploration, and defense. This supply chain must be flexible. It must have the capacity to surge when called. And it must be just as reliable and innovative as the industry it serves. Achieving these goals requires strategy and commitment on the part of industry — the suppliers and the customers — as well as our governments, but the outcome will pay dividends for us all.
The global supply chain is vital to the ongoing success of the American A&D industry — especially for critical minerals that are scarce on American soil. Minerals such as titanium, cobalt, and manganese metal are used to produce highly effective and technologically advanced commercial and defense products. Our industry has recommended the U.S. government support onshoring policies that foster increased domestic production through the procurement of these minerals. However, this won’t happen overnight, and we will continue to rely on trusted international sources who have the minerals critical to the production of commercial and defense equipment.
Enhancing the global supply chain also creates new opportunities to strengthen ties with our allies and partners. These longstanding relationships are the cornerstone of our foreign policy and national security, and building a global supply chain that involves our partners demonstrates commitment to an enduring relationship with U.S. industry.
The benefits don’t stop there. As orders for commercial aircraft reach record numbers and demand for military equipment increases to meet the rise in global tensions, the interoperability of the supply chain is paramount to the on-time delivery of our products. We rely on our partners in regions where contested logistics threaten deliverability and share communication up and down the supply chain in anticipation of potential disruptions. To build capacity domestically, the U.S. A&D industry must work internationally with allies and partners to provide quality parts and components — and safe transit of those products. This allows for America to be competitive, and when American industry is competitive, we can outpace and outperform anyone.
The world is buying what the American A&D industry is selling, and American A&D is buying from around the world. This dynamic requires multinational cooperation from raw material suppliers, government, and industry, as we see in Singapore and the broader region. These relationships are vital to the global economy. Take the 787 — a ground-breaking commercial aircraft, built in America by the world. The carbon fiber comes from Japan, a French company makes the landing gear, and an Italian company makes the fuselage. It all comes together in America and is then exported around the world to move passengers and cargo safely and efficiently.
Today’s A&D supply chains are deeply integrated across the globe, and international cooperation remains foundational to American excellence. And when American industry wins, the world is more secure, safer, and ready for tomorrow.
