Rapid Mass at Scale: The Two-Year Plan to Deter China

The CFR report warns the U.S. arsenal is stretched and current production cannot credibly deter a Chinese invasion of Taiwan within a near-term horizon, urging a two-year sprint to scale “precise mass”—low-cost, rapidly producible drones, missiles, sensors, and C5ISRT—through speed-focused procurement, relaxed rules, and bold industrial policy. It calls for a Rapid Industrial Expansion Authority, portfolio-level risk tolerance, and multiyear contracts; expanded OTA/MTA authorities; stockpiling of long-lead components; modernization of production lines; and strengthened supply chains under NDAA/FoRGED/SPEED Act reforms. The goal is to field credible, high-output capabilities quickly, while maintaining transparency with Congress and accepting some risk of imperfect systems in exchange for timely capability gains.