The Russo-Ukrainian war provides Ukraine’s supporters with a compelling moment to re-examine defense acquisition policy. The conflict has reminded every government that wars involving great powers are likely to transform into wars of attrition and that once engaged in fighting, armed forces will burn through munitions at an alarming rate. 

But the wrong lesson to draw from this experience would be that everyone should produce everything — and dump money into these industries to bolster duplicative production capacity. Instead, the United States and its European and Asian allies should focus their scarce resources on producing (and exporting where prudent) advanced technology, while relying on global suppliers to manufacture commoditized defense items like artillery shells.

--SSP Research Affiliate Jonathan Caverley and Ethan Kapstein in War on the Rocks