“Security of Supply” is commonly defined as a “guarantee of supply sufficient for a state to discharge its defense and security commitments in accordance with its foreign and security policy requirements.” With SoS language now residing predominantly within procurement legislation of the military domain, there is a tendency to address this concept in simplified (or mercantile) terms where “guarantee” somehow equates to “promises” concerning the execution of individual supply contracts. This, of course, is not the case. Guaranteeing that SoS is sufficient for national defense requires a comprehensive approach, with an adaptive defense industry playing the central role amid the concurrent presence of numerous other stakeholders.
First, there is the question of available industrial capacity itself. Guaranteeing supply without a readily accessible industrial base to back it up makes just as much sense as promising defense assistance without possessing actual military capabilities required to provide it. Uninterrupted availability concerns the full life cycle of required goods or services, and considers a complete spectrum of their potential application scenarios — from introduction and daily employment, to crisis operations, to waging war.
Latvia’s defense minister: The importance of securing the supply chain (defensenews.com)
