The “arsenal of democracy” is as relevant today as it was when the term was coined by President Franklin Roosevelt during World War II, and updating that idea will require close collaboration with defense industrial bases, a senior Army official said.

Patrick Mason, acting principal deputy to the assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology, explained that the phrase described the need to unleash U.S. industrial capacity, grow supply chains and suppliers and deliver armaments and goods to U.S. forces and allies as part of World War II.

“As you look at updating the arsenal of democracy, I would submit that while there was a preponderance of U.S. dominance in the arsenal of democracy from FDR’s time, today's environment requires close collaboration with industrial bases here on the continent of Europe, for us over in Indo-Pacific, as well as what we’re doing within the United States,” Mason said July 17 during a panel discussion at the inaugural LANDEURO Symposium hosted in Wiesbaden, Germany, by the Association of the U.S. Army.

Mason noted the evident fragility in supply chains over the past five to 10 years, as well as the demand on the U.S. military’s ability to produce munitions for Ukraine. Those efforts have included an increase in the production of 155 mm shells, coupled with innovative technology and drones from start-ups that require looking at how to scale with speed, he said.

“From my capacity and what I do, as the Army has invested within the larger [DoD], is to look internationally and then here in Europe on how we can leverage what each country does for maximum benefit,” Mason said. “I do come from the acquisition side, so while there is often discussion of capabilities—that is the what—and I deal with the how, so the alignment of capital is always of focus to me.”

Mason aims to understand the demand signals and “properly aggregate those into what is needed,” then address financing and regulatory aspects “so that we can come together and look to scale with speed to meet the requirements,” he said.

“Each of us, whether it's the United States or other countries here in Europe, trying to do this without integrating and looking at how we collaborate, is really an inappropriate approach to today's dynamic security environment,” Mason said.