President Eisenhower warned against the pernicious effects of the massive defense industrial complex in 1961. Yet the defense industrial base continues to give America an advantage over potential adversaries. It has weakened through the erosion of the manufacturing base, waste, cost overruns, underperformance, a shaky economy, and the uncertainties of today’s warfare. Despite these vulnerabilities, the modern defense industrial base remains innovative, creative, and relatively efficient and responsive to its customer, DOD. It is imperative to national interests to preserve this asset even as its inefficiencies are rooted out, and there are important steps that can ensure its ongoing vitality.