The defense technology industry has never been better at innovation. New companies are developing advanced unmanned systems, autonomous platforms, sensors, and other critical capabilities at a pace that would have been difficult to imagine a decade ago.
But innovation alone isn’t enough to deliver those capabilities to market.
As defense companies move from prototype programs and limited production runs toward operational deployment, many encounter the same challenge: scaling manufacturing quickly enough to meet demand, especially if that demand requires surge production. A common instinct is to build those capabilities internally. Yet, according to Re:Build Manufacturing CEO Miles Arnone, that approach frequently creates new bottlenecks, rather than eliminating them. The pressure is especially intense in unmanned systems, where defense customers are demanding rapid scaling from prototype quantities to thousands of units per year.
“The conventional wisdom, especially in defense, is that if you want to control your destiny and move fast, you need to own everything,” Arnone said. “But that instinct works against you in most cases.”
The challenge is particularly acute in today’s defense environment, where companies may need to ramp up production from hundreds of units to thousands—or even tens of thousands—in a short period of time. While many organizations excel at developing breakthrough technologies, far fewer possess the manufacturing expertise, facilities, workforce, and operational systems required to scale production efficiently.
As a result, companies often find themselves trying to master multiple disciplines simultaneously: supply chain management, automation, production line design, quality management systems, component sourcing, workforce development, and manufacturing operations. Each represents a significant undertaking on its own.
According to Arnone, the more effective approach is to distinguish between what truly creates competitive advantage—and what does not.
“If you’re a defense technology company and your secret sauce is proprietary flight control algorithms or advanced sensor fusion, then yes, absolutely keep that in-house. That’s where you should be investing your resources, your best talent, and your capital,” Arnone said.
“Vertical integration stops making sense when you try to extend it to everything else in the value chain.”
Everything else can become a distraction, cause a delay, or simply fall out of your expertise. “Trying to be good at everything—design, engineering, supply chain, manufacturing, automation, quality systems, regulatory compliance—means you’re probably not excellent at any one thing, particularly when a large number of manufacturing processes are involved in making the product,” said Arnone.
Scaling Starts Earlier Than Most Companies Think
One of the most common mistakes companies make, Arnone said, is treating manufacturing as a downstream challenge.
Organizations often focus on proving technical performance first, assuming production considerations can be addressed later. In reality, many scaling problems originate during the design phase.
A platform may rely on components with lengthy lead times. Assembly procedures may require specialized labor that cannot easily be expanded. Manufacturing processes that work for dozens of units may become impractical at larger volumes.
The result is a familiar pattern: companies achieve technical success, only to discover that production scale requires significant redesign.
To address this issue, Re:Build employs what it calls Manufacturing Constrained Design (MCDTM), an approach that incorporates manufacturing realities into product development from the outset.
Rather than designing a system in isolation, and worrying about production later, engineering teams establish manufacturing constraints early in the process. That collaboration between designers and manufacturing experts ensures products can be produced efficiently at scale, while avoiding costly redesign efforts down the road.
“Our designers and manufacturing experts work together from day one, something that’s nearly impossible when you’re trying to coordinate separate design firms and manufacturing partners,” Arnone said. “The result is a better product that’s more manufacturable at scale, while avoiding painful redesigns to achieve lower costs and/or improved quality later.”
The goal is to scale more rapidly than starting from scratch by designing a product that can be manufactured repeatedly, reliably, and economically.
A Different Model for Defense Manufacturing
Re:Build’s approach differs from traditional manufacturing partnerships because of its breadth of capabilities.
“We have deep expertise at every point along the value chain for challenging defense hardware, from design through scaled production, all under one roof,” Arnone said. “That means we can be a great partner for companies that may need very different levels of engagement. This combination of end-to-end capabilities is what enables the speed that companies need but can’t achieve on their own.”
The company combines engineering resources with production facilities, automation expertise, lean manufacturing practices, and specialized capabilities across multiple sites. That integrated structure allows customers to engage Re:Build at different points in their growth journey.
For some organizations, that means sourcing mission-critical components like ruggedized battery packs for extended flight times, complex wire harnesses with military-spec connectors, or carbon fiber composite structures.
For others, it’s designing and standing up entire production lines, implementing pick-and-place automation, or establishing new facilities with proper security clearances.
In some cases, Re:Build becomes involved even earlier, helping evolve product designs, support prototyping efforts, and prepare systems for large-scale production.
The common thread is flexibility. “We meet companies where they are,” Arnone said. “Some need support across the entire value chain. Others need help solving a specific bottleneck.”
That flexibility is important as defense companies face pressure to deliver capabilities faster, while maintaining strict quality and reliability requirements.
Focus Capital Where It Matters Most
For companies racing to deliver critical defense capabilities, the challenge isn’t simply designing innovative technology. It’s scaling that technology quickly enough to meet operational demand. Beyond speed, Arnone said many defense startups overlook another important consideration: capital allocation.
“There’s also an important capital consideration that often gets overlooked,” Arnone said. “Many defense startups raise expensive venture capital, and it may not be the best use of that capital to build out facilities for products and processes that haven’t reached full scale yet.”
Building manufacturing infrastructure can require $10-50M+ in facilities, equipment, production systems, and workforce development—often long before production volumes justify the expense. Rather than tying up capital building those capabilities from scratch, companies can leverage existing manufacturing infrastructure, while keeping their resources focused on the technologies that differentiate their products.
“When you’re trying to build everything yourself, you’re not just investing time, you’re investing significant capital in facilities, equipment, and infrastructure before you even know if your product will achieve the volumes you’re projecting,” Arnone explained. “Re:Build’s extensive footprint, over a million square feet of production facilities, can be leveraged to not only go faster, but to do so more cost-effectively when you consider the total cash outlay required to get to rate production. That means your capital can stay focused on what truly differentiates your product, while we provide the manufacturing infrastructure and expertise you need to scale.”
The challenge of scaling requires a different way of thinking about manufacturing. Rather than treating production as something to build after the product is proven, organizations need to consider manufacturability, production capacity, and strategic partnerships from the earliest stages of development.
Companies that understand where they create unique value—and where experienced partners can accelerate the journey—will be better positioned when production requirements shift from dozens of systems to thousands. For Re:Build, that’s where its integrated engineering and manufacturing capabilities provide the greatest value. In today’s defense environment, the fastest path to surge production may not be building everything yourself, but rather, building the right partnerships from the beginning.
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