More analysis sought on U.S. industrial base.

• Author: Erwin, Sandra I.
• Position: Defense Insider

With the Pentagon facing sweeping budget cuts that could dampen future purchases of new hardware, analysts will be seeking to provide fresh insight into the Defense Department's future contracting needs and industry's ability to fill them.

One of D.C.'s most influential think tanks, The Brookings Institution, has teamed with LMI, a nonprofit government consulting firm, to further probe these issues.

LMI will be working with Brookings' 21st Century Defense Initiative Working Group to study the "future of the national security industrial base," the organizations announced.

"We decided this partnership made a lot of sense" in the context of what is happening with Pentagon budgets, said Luke Knittig, manager of public outreach at LMI.

With less defense money likely to be spent on next-generation weapons, Pentagon leaders...