Defense Industrial Base(DIB)
The industrial capabilities and supply chains supporting national defense, including prime contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers producing defense equipment and services.
Overview
The Defense Industrial Base (DIB) encompasses the worldwide industrial complex that enables research, development, production, and sustainment of military weapons systems, subsystems, and components. It includes government and private sector facilities, companies of all sizes from major primes to small machine shops, and the workforce and supply chains that support them. The health of the DIB is considered a national security imperative.
Why It Matters in GovCon
Every defense contractor is part of the DIB. Government policies aimed at strengthening the DIB — including domestic sourcing requirements, industrial base assessments, and cybersecurity mandates like CMMC — directly affect how contractors operate. Understanding DIB initiatives helps contractors anticipate policy changes, identify growth opportunities, and position themselves as critical contributors to national security.
Key Details
- Scope: Includes over 100,000 companies across all tiers of the defense supply chain, from prime contractors to raw material suppliers.
- Fragility: DoD regularly assesses the DIB for single points of failure, sole-source dependencies, and foreign ownership risks.
- Cybersecurity: DIB companies are required to implement NIST SP 800-171 and will need CMMC certification to protect the defense supply chain.
- DIB Cybersecurity Program: A voluntary threat information sharing program between DoD and cleared defense contractors.
- Industrial Base Policy: The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment oversees DIB health and resilience initiatives.
Related Terms
- Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC)
- Defense Production Act (DPA)
- Supply Chain Risk Management (SCRM)
- National Security
More Regulations Terms
A federal law requiring the U.S. government to prefer domestic products and materials in its procurement.
A federal law requiring contractors on federally funded construction projects to pay workers prevailing local wages.
The supplement to the FAR that contains acquisition regulations specific to the Department of Defense.
The primary set of rules governing how the federal government purchases goods and services, covering everything from competition requirements to contract administration.
A federal law that gives the public the right to request access to federal agency records, subject to exemptions.
The acquisition regulation that supplements the FAR for the Department of Homeland Security.
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