The Federal Drive with Terry Gerton The National Armaments Consortium is gearing up for 2026 with fresh direction and a focus on armaments innovation
Nov 21, 2025
Ben Harris, Executive Director of the National Armaments Consortium, and Joe Buzzett, Executive Committee Chair with extensive industry experience, dive into the future of armaments innovation. They discuss the consortium's efforts to enhance supply chain resilience and the urgency surrounding ammunition production amid global conflicts like Ukraine. The guests highlight the importance of rapid prototyping and recent policy changes to accelerate project timelines. With five new industry veterans onboard, NAC is set to tackle challenges and focus on emerging technologies for 2026 and beyond.
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Consortium Focus Drives Rapid Armaments Innovation
- The National Armaments Consortium (NAC) unites engineers, designers, scientists, and manufacturers focused on armaments across large and small firms.
- NAC leverages its OTA/CMF model to accelerate innovation and field new armaments quickly.
Small Firms Power Innovation
- Over 75% of NAC members are small or non-traditional firms, which NAC sees as the primary source of innovation.
- NAC blends startups with major primes to move technology into the warfighter faster.
Industrial Base Recovery Needs Broad Investment
- The ammunition industrial base has improved since 2016 but still requires significant investment to rebuild depots and sustainers.
- Resetting capacity spans ammo, depot maintenance, and platform rebuilds across the industrial base.