Defense Budget and Acquisition

CSIS experts track the foremost budget issues in the defense policy sphere, exploring trends in the overall defense budget, military readiness, force structure, defense acquisition, and military compensation in a broader effort to assess the alignment of the country’s defense strategy and its resources.

Photo: Golden Fleet/U.S. Navy

Photo: Golden Fleet/U.S. Navy

Why the Golden Fleet Will Sail

Debates over a new battleship miss the larger issue—how to generate affordable naval firepower at scale. Seen as an arsenal ship, a “Golden Fleet” could reinforce distributed maritime operations while helping reform U.S. shipbuilding.

Commentary by Benjamin Jensen — January 9, 2026

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Jerry McGinn

Jerry McGinn

Director, Center for the Industrial Base and Senior Fellow, Defense and Security Department

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2026 U.S.-Japan Security Seminar

Join the CSIS Japan Chair in collaboration with The Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA) for the 2026 U.S.-Japan Security Seminar

Event — January 23, 2026

The Arsenal of Freedom Tour

Please join the CSIS Defense and Security Department for a conversation on the Secretary of War’s Arsenal of Freedom tour.

Event — January 22, 2026

Why the Golden Fleet Will Sail

Debates over a new battleship miss the larger issue—how to generate affordable naval firepower at scale. Seen as an arsenal ship, a “Golden Fleet” could reinforce distributed maritime operations while helping reform U.S. shipbuilding.

Commentary by Benjamin Jensen — January 9, 2026

What the New National Security Strategy Means for Naval Forces

The 2025 National Security Strategy recasts naval power as an economic and industrial instrument, pushing the Navy toward unmanned systems, hemispheric missions, and more cost-effective approaches to deterring China.

Commentary by Benjamin Jensen, Mackenzie Eaglen, and Henry H. Carroll — December 18, 2025

Outlining the Challenges to U.S. Naval Shipbuilding

The U.S. naval shipbuilding enterprise struggles to produce ships at the scale and speed demanded despite being a bipartisan priority for successive administrations and Congress. The White House must tackle complex, longstanding challenges to improve shipbuilding capacity.

Report by Seamus P. Daniels, Henry H. Carroll, Cynthia R. Cook, Oliver Buntin, and Sarah O’Rourke — December 16, 2025

Actualizing the "Arsenal of Freedom" | All About the Base

The CSIS Center for the Industrial Base is proud to launch the first episode of All About the Base, a video series examining key industrial base issues. The first episode explores Secretary Hegseth's plans for defense acquisition reform.

Event — December 15, 2025