The Defense Dept. believes a healthy, flexible, commercially competitive defense industry is vital to U.S. security. After reading Aviation Week & Space Technology's Nov. 8 editorial on my address to the Fletcher Conference, at which I discussed these issues, I am concerned that my position may not have been fully understood. The message of my remarks was that the Defense Dept., and U.S. national security, are absolutely and indispensably tied to the health and well-being of our industrial partners in the private sector. America's decisive edge in weapons and technology, along with the high-quality people in our armed forces, is what keeps the U.S. strong and secure. As such, we must ensure that our programs, policies and budgets contribute to a vigorous and dynamic industrial base.
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