Join the Strauss Center for International Security and Law and the Clements Center for National Security as we host Caitlin Lee, Ph.D., the director of Acquisition Technology and Policy at RAND Corporation, as she gives a lecture on “The Central Role of the US Industrial Base in US National Security Decision Making.”

Deterring the next great power conflict isn’t just about military might. It’s about who can build, mobilize, and sustain faster. As the rivalry between the United States and China intensifies, the US industrial base is emerging as a game-changing instrument of national power, fueling an intense industrial base mobilization contest between the two great powers. Lee, a leading expert in defense policy, will reveal how new technologies and shifting geopolitics are transforming the way America prepares for and deters global threats. Drawing on lessons from Ukraine and other recent conflicts, this talk will show why the ability to scale up production and innovation is now the ultimate US advantage. Join us for a discussion that will shed new light on how mobilization capacity is shaping US force design—and what it means for US deterrence and the ability to prevail in twenty-first century conflict. Whether you’re a student, a curious member of the public, or a defense industry insider, don’t miss this chance to rethink the foundations of American security.

No registration required. Seating is first come, first served. Lunch will be served. For more information, reach out to Ali Prince at ali.prince@austin.utexas.edu

Biography

Caitlin Lee, Ph.D., is the director of Acquisition and Technology Policy in the National Security Research Division at RAND, where she oversees the RAND’s research for the Pentagon related to  US-China competition, emerging technology, defense industrial base issues, and acquisition. In her research role as a senior political scientist, she is currently leading projects focused on US and Chinese defense mobilization trends and implications, and US efforts to build resilience in the industrial base to deter great power war. She has testified before the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, published on military innovation and drone warfare in the Journal of Strategic Studies, Air and Space Power Journal, and other academic and popular outlets, and has authored or co-authored RAND studies on a variety of aerospace, force design, and technology topics including RAND’s Thinking Through Protracted War with China. She previously founded the Mitchell Institute’s Center for UAV and Autonomy Studies and served as the senior aviation reporter for the America’s Bureau of Jane’s for over a decade. She teaches Planning US Military Forces at Georgetown University’s Security Studies Program and holds a Ph.D. in War Studies from King’s College London.

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