“The military-minded man who has to devise the machines of destruction should keep in touch with the man of industry.”
\- Bernard Baruch\, who in 1924 was chairman of the U\.S\. War Industries Board and a founding influence behind the Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy
That connection between strategy and defense industrial capacity remains central to modern defense planning.
On April 15, 2026, in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, participants in European-Led Defense, which focuses this week on national strategy and strategy development, heard from Pete Coughlan, Ph.D., professor of national security and industrial base at the National Defense University, on how the Defense Industrial Base functions and the capabilities and limitations inherent in the system.
Using the U.S. as a case study, his presentation examined the DIB as both a partner and a model, and how understanding supply chains, production capacity, and industrial resilience are central to procuring the defense material required for modern, credible deterrence. Coughlan explained how the DIB is not a standalone issue — it cuts across strategy, acquisition, innovation, and readiness, making it essential to how nations plan for both immediate requirements and long-term security; and managing the myriad intricacies therein.
Through European-Led Defense, the Marshall Center is convening security practitioners, partners, and industry to translate real-world lessons into actionable approaches while developing skills that align policy, resources, and capability in support of modern defense planning.