New Institute Will Tackle the Tough Questions.

• Date: 01 June 2021
• Author: Wostenberg, Rebecca
• Published date: 01 June 2021
• Author: Wostenberg, Rebecca

When construction began on the USS Constitution in 1794, the fledgling republic had limited resources and would soon face, for a second time, the most powerful navy in the world. Naval architect Joshua Humphreys knew with scarce resources, each ship had to be as formidable as possible and so he set to work building a different type of frigate.

In the end, she was larger, faster, had a stronger hull--earning her the nickname "Old Ironsides"--and was more heavily armed, capable of carrying double the guns per deck without sacrificing maneuverability. She made her mark in the War of 1812 and still sits in Boston Harbor as a testament to America's long history of innovation.

This history sets the United States apart from other nations. Unlike some countries who chose to steal intellectual property to advance their military might, America has always been a nation of inventors and innovators. This has played a crucial role throughout U.S. military history and must continue if ours is to remain the most powerful military in the world. In the same way that Humphreys took scarce resources of a young republic and created a truly historic frigate, America's military today needs the cutting edge technologies of...