What is the National Defence Industrial Association (NDIA)?

Introduction

The National Defence Industrial Association (NDIA) is a trade association for the United States government and defence industrial base. It is an 501(c)3 educational organisation. Its headquarters are in Arlington, Virginia. NDIA was established in 1919 as a result of the inability of the defence industry to scale up the war effort during World War I.

Women mixing dynamite at Nobel’s Ardeer factory, 1897.

Founding

In 1917, Brigadier General Benedict Crowell was called to active duty and served on the General Munitions Board. As a board member, he established a relationship with the steel industry and was almost immediately appointed Assistant Secretary of War and Director of Munitions. As Director of Munitions, Crowell was a significant catalyst in improving the country’s capability to produce arms and ammunition. However, he recognised the nation’s need for an association that fostered cooperation between civilian industry and government in support of industrial preparedness. He founded the Army Ordnance Association (AOA) in 1919 and served as president for its first 25 years. Over the ensuing decades, AOA became the American Defence Preparedness Association (ADPA), which then merged with the 1944 National Security Industrial Association (NSIA) in 1997, creating NDIA.

Publications

NDIA currently publishes:

National Defence Magazine
Weekly Policy Digest
Weekly Defence Insider
Monthly Defence Watch.

National Defence Magazine

National Defence has been published under a series of different titles since 1940:

2005-Present: National Defence
1947-1954: The Common Defence
1947-1970: Ordnance
1920-1945: Army Ordnance
1945-1947: Logistics
1946: Industrial Preparedness Bulletin
1943-1945: Army Ordnance Report
1940-1946: Army Ordnance Bulletin

Chapters

The NDIA has 29 chapters located throughout the United States.

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