The NDIS-IP outlines concrete actions to strengthen supply chains, expand workforce capacity, modernize acquisition pathways, and increase industrial production at the pace and scale required by today's security environment. Drawing on McKinsey's latest research, these insights explore industrial readiness, innovation adoption, and production capacity while supporting long-term economic growth and national security.
Since the release of the inaugural National Defense Industrial Strategy, the Department of Defense has moved from strategy development to implementation via the National Defense Industrial Strategy Implementation Plan (NDIS-IP).
Scaling production and modernizing American manufacturing
Report - MGI Research
Ramping up manufacturing in America?
-
Probing how much manufacturing ramp-up would be needed to address US trade dependencies.
Article
Revving up American manufacturing to unleash the defense industrial base
-
By making targeted improvements to existing US defense industrial base operations, manufacturers could cut production ramp-up times in half and double new capital efficiency.
Article
Rewiring aerospace and defense operations for speed and growth
-
To meet surging demand, manufacturers must urgently rethink their operations to unlock speed, focus, and frontline empowerment.
Article
Evolving federal R&D to meet the challenges of tomorrow
-
Maximizing the value of R&D expenditures will require taking a broader, portfolio-level perspective and accepting a certain level of risk—and failure—in the process.
Resilient supply chains
Article
Strengthening national security through a more resilient supply chain
-
Recent disruptions in global supply chains have exposed national vulnerabilities—adopting an end-to-end approach to reinforce supply chain resilience can be vital to national security.
Article
Decoding disruption to reshape manufacturing footprints
-
Today’s pressures mean supply chain footprints need more flexibility. Our analysis of 188 KPIs across industries reveals which sectors are most exposed and how companies can start responding.
Article
A rising wave of tech disruptors: The future of defense innovation?
-
Nontraditional sources of innovation are transforming the defense sector with powerful capabilities—but they must overcome obstacles on the path to scalable success.
Article
Tech and regionalization bolster supply chains, but complacency looms
-
The race for resilience is changing the way global supply chains look and transforming the way they are run.
Scaling the defense workforce
Report
Accelerating progress: Maximizing the return on talent in A&D
-
US aerospace and defense companies face core skills gaps and high turnover. A new report reveals strategies to boost workforce productivity and maximize the return on talent.
Article
Investing in the manufacturing workforce to accelerate productivity
-
The advanced industrial manufacturing workforce is retiring, and new workers need training for complex roles. Reducing time to proficiency could be critical to unlocking increased productivity.
Article
The talent gap: The value at stake for global aerospace and defense
-
The aerospace and defense industry is under pressure from labor shortfalls and increasing demand. By focusing on five talent imperatives, it can unlock productivity and create value.
Article
From hire to inspire: Getting—and keeping—Gen Z in manufacturing
-
Gen Z workers say they’re open to jobs in manufacturing. But getting them to take these jobs, engage, and stay will mean changing a work environment long optimized for machines, not people.
Accelerating innovation
Article
Reimagining federal procurement in the digital and AI age
-
Digitalizing federal procurement can improve decision-making, increase efficiency and transparency, and bolster resilience—all of which are critical in today’s high-pressure environment.
Article
Capturing the AI advantage in defense
-
AI deployment could redefine command advantage in modern defense. Here’s how the United States could be at the forefront.
Article
Creating a modernized defense technology frontier
-
Public and private investment dollars are fueling defense innovation. The prize? A $250 billion opportunity to build a modernized defense frontier by scaling technology, from AI to quantum computing.
Article
Government CHIPS on the table: How higher DOD microelectronics funding is here to stay
-
New US Department of Defense funding for microelectronics R&D gives semiconductor companies an opportunity—but manufacturers and designers must adapt to meet it.
Our People

Ankur Ghia
Senior PartnerWashington DC
Specializes in helping public- and private-sector organizations to use technology to transform their product and service delivery,...

Gretchen Berlin
Senior PartnerWashington DC
Leads McKinsey’s work in federal healthcare and civilian agencies at the intersection of operations and social, health, and public...

Scott Blackburn
Senior PartnerWashington DC
Works with US federal departments using commercial best practices to solve the government’s toughest problems


Mike Doheny
Senior PartnerAtlanta
Transforms performance for consumer and logistics companies, driving growth and productivity to improve financial performance

Gayatri Shenai
Senior PartnerNew York
Uses digital and analytics to help public- and private-sector institutions transform operational performance and improve competitive...

Ed Barriball
Senior PartnerWashington DC
Advises leaders of organizations that manage complex manufacturing, supply chain, and logistics operations

Michelle Bryant
PartnerOhio - Columbus
Brings expertise in product development, supply chain, and manufacturing to drive operational improvements for industrial and...

Megan McConnell
PartnerWashington DC
Assists large, complex institutions in transforming how they run their organizations—especially modernizing for the future, strategic...















