General John Pershing famously said that “infantry wins battles, logistics wins wars.” Our superior logistics — the ability to plan, produce, and deliver military supplies — helped us win the Civil War, both World Wars, and ultimately established America as the leading world power. 

However, decades of neglect have transformed defense logistics into a glaring weakness, putting our national security at risk. The current state of our defense industrial base and supply chains projects vulnerabilities to both our allies and adversaries. 

As the CEO of a company that delivers wartime and emergency products to our allies who need them the most, I have seen these challenges firsthand. Here is what went wrong — and how we can get back on track.

After the Cold War, our leaders turned their focus from the threat posed by large, industrialized adversaries to managing small and regional conflicts. Politicians promised a “peace dividend,” from reductions in the defense budget, because there was no risk of a global war with the Soviet Union. This shift in priorities led to a shift in our defense budget and long-term planning, and a fundamental neglect of our defense industrial base. 

Now our technological edge is under pressure, the range of credible adversaries has expanded, and our supply chains are brittle. They are not nimble enough to deliver high-tech weapons and resources to our friends when they need them most, and they are vulnerable to strategic disruption. And worse, they are insufficient for America’s own national security needs.

The ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict highlights many of these vulnerabilities, particularly in artillery warfare. For example, in 2021, before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. produced just 14,000 rounds of 155mm ammunition per month. For a comparison, Russia is currently producing approximately 500,000 rounds of artillery ammunition monthly. Although the Department of Defense aims to increase production to 100,000 rounds per month by next year, that’s still far short of Russia’s production.

Allowing a near-peer adversary like Russia to outproduce us five-to-one in artillery shells is unacceptable. And dangerous. This crisis is a wake-up call. It is far less costly to address this problem now than try to fix it in the middle of a larger-scale war.

These shortfalls extend to the Navy. Last month, the Military Sealift Command announced plans to deactivate 17 Navy support ships due to a shortage of personnel. These vessels play a critical role in providing logistical support to our deployed carrier groups with refueling operations and cargo delivery. In times of disaster, they are crucial for humanitarian missions. Among the ships considered for deactivation is the USS Lewis Puller (ESB-3), which has recently operated in the Middle East to assist efforts in preventing Iranian weapons smuggling to Yemen. This same ship was used last year off the coast of Somalia to evacuate U.S. citizens. The condition and readiness of our Naval assets is nothing short of a national disgrace.

What message does this send to our allies and adversaries? Our deterrence will be lost if we cannot manufacture ammunition at scale and have the logistical capability to deliver it to the battlefield across oceans.

Just as neglect of Pershing’s insight led to our crisis, reaffirming our focus on logistics can help get us back on track. Sen. Roger Wicker (R., Miss.) showed his keen understanding of this challenge with his “21st Century Peace Through Strength: A Generational Investment in the U.S. Military,” proposal which lays out an aggressive plan to revitalize the military. It addresses many of these critical issues, including increasing the size of the Navy, rebuilding the defense industrial base, and improving logistical capabilities. I applaud Sen. Wicker for his leadership. His proposal provides a valuable starting point for policymakers.

However, we cannot solve these challenges in isolation. We need collaboration from our allies and the private sector to restore our military strength. One effective tool is joint ventures between U.S. defense companies and allied nations to develop innovative technologies and produce critical defense materials. Not only would this improve our capacity, but it would shift the financial burden and risk of failure from the taxpayer to investors. Our policymakers must also encourage partnerships with key allies to create resilient supply chains and provide critical logistical support.

I’ve worked closely with our allies on defense-related initiatives, and I can confirm that supporting the resurgence of a strong American defense industry is in their interest as much as ours. The United States must once again become a leader in logistics and military readiness, not just for its own security but for that of the entire global community.

As Pershing’s words remind us, logistics truly wins wars — without it, even the mightiest army will falter.

Will Somerindyke serves as Chairman of Regulus Global. Over the last decade, Mr. Somerindyke has grown Regulus Global from a three-person organization to a thriving team of veterans, industry professionals, and global acquisition experts who understand national security, defense, medical and humanitarian requirements.