The Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) has released two new documents providing recommendations to strengthen the aerospace and defense global supply chain and secure US access to critical minerals on which the industry relies.
AIA’s latest reports come as US policymakers consider new legislation, policies, and regulations to address vulnerabilities in the global supply chain across all industries.
Resilient supply chain
“US global leadership in aerospace and defense hinges on a secure and resilient supply chain – particularly for the critical minerals used in the production of cutting-edge aircraft technology,” said Eric Fanning, AIA’s President and CEO. “The aerospace and defense industry’s unique landscape and diverse needs must be prioritized as the country works to strengthen our global supply chains and securing access to key critical minerals. A diverse supply chain is vital to maintaining our competitive advantage and combating growing global threats.”
Recent global events, including the conflict in Ukraine, growing tensions in the Indo-Pacific, and the Covid-19 pandemic, have highlighted serious and longstanding challenges in the supply chain. AIA’s recommendations take a comprehensive approach across industry, government, academia, and other key stakeholders to address these challenges, support and strengthen domestic production and competitiveness, and where possible, invest in allies and partners to build flexible and secure supply chains.
Click here to read the agenda.
Critical materials
Accompanying this agenda is a new white paper in which AIA identified at least 12 critical minerals that are strategically significant to the aerospace and defense industry. Of those, the US has a net import reliance of over 50% on all but two of those minerals. Current US capacity to produce these minerals is limited, and it can take companies up to 10 years to transition and certify new suppliers.
AIA recommends a “comprehensive approach” to address dependencies and secure the U.S. critical mineral supply chain. Click here to read the full report.
