As global leaders pursue technological superiority in defense, the United States is implementing major reforms and new initiatives to reshape how the country uses its innovation edge for national security.
The 2026 National Security Innovation Base (NSIB) Report Card, now in its fourth year, offers a system-wide assessment of how well the United States is turning that ambition into reality. Published by the Reagan Institute’s Center for Peace Through Strength and grounded in McKinsey’s fact base, the NSIB is an authoritative benchmark for the health, effectiveness, and resilience of the defense tech ecosystem.
This year’s report card tracks where the United States is gaining ground, where it is regressing, and where it is stagnating across the NSIB, spanning government agencies, research laboratories, universities, defense primes, commercial disruptors, investors, and global allies.
Three key takeaways emerge from the report card:
- New leadership has laid early building blocks for systemic transformation, with stronger demand signals and a sharper focus on faster, output-driven production and procurement.
- Pockets of the Defense Industrial Base are evolving, but progress at scale remains limited, as gaps in talent and infrastructure persist, despite a recent uptick in investments in capacity.
- Wholesale transformation requires an infusion to overcome structural hurdles, with private capital responding in kind; however ongoing political turmoil threatens demand stability and undermines Pentagon signaling.
The NSIB Report Card is more than just an assessment—it is a call to action. With clear recommendations for improvement, it can be used as a tool by all stakeholders in the NSIB ecosystem to accelerate US national security innovation.
Download the full report card to explore the grades, underlying data, and key actions.