FROM THE EDITOR
de Lafayette in the final victory at Yorktown was commemo - rated when American troops joined the Allied effort in World War I. On July 2, 1917, after a march to the grave of Lafay - ette in Paris, U.S. Army Col. Charles E. Stanton proclaimed, “Lafayette, we are here!” What lessons, then, might we derive from our national Founding and the roles of the European states? The first lesson, perhaps, is that a nation’s ability to man - ufacture and supply its own defense needs can be crucial to that nation’s independence, to say nothing of its ability to function as a major world power. And allies can prove essential or at least help fill the gap when domestic capa - bilities are in short supply. Current U.S. policies emphasize rebuilding the Defense Industrial Base, a more equitable sharing among allied na- tions of defense responsibilities and costs, accelerated and more efficient acquisition processes through a revolution - ary regulatory overhaul, and regional sustainment for lo- gistical support. All these measures aim to ensure there are reliable sources of military supplies and secure America’s position in an increasingly contested world. Allies remain important and can provide various and decisive forms of support. The United States has long en- joyed a worldwide network of alliances unparalleled in history. These, along with greater self-reliance and self- initiative on the part of all, are crucial to maintaining our
force positions close to contested areas and those at risk of being contested. Historic examples extend well beyond our Founding. Many of the weapons and inventions that secured victory in World War II—the atomic bomb, penicillin, and airborne radar—were begun with scientific work in Britain but finally brought to fruition and produced in America. A critical ad- vantage accrued to both the United States and Britain in dealing with German submarine warfare when Britain broke the Enigma code generated by a complicated machine used by the German naval command. As historians have noted, the past doesn’t exactly repeat itself—but the past, the present, and no doubt the future can rhyme in meaningful ways. In our present, the incred- ibly successful MRAP program of special armored, explo - sive-protected vehicles was based on vehicle designs from South Africa, Israel, Canada, and other sources—but all of them are built in the United States. Dr. Ferreiro recently alerted us to a company now op- erating in the United States that has roots dating to the 16th century Spanish Royal Arms Factory that provided substantial material aid to the American War for Indepen- dence. SAPA Transmission has remained involved in sup- plying important military equipment for the United States and European allies.
[A] nation’s ability to manufacture and supply its own defense needs can be crucial to that nation’s independence, to say nothing of its ability to function as a major world power.
8 DEFENSE ACQUISITION MAGAZINE | JULY – AUGUST 2026
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