Business-style efficiency minimizes inventory, overhead, and unused capacity, while military readiness must absorb demand that arrives suddenly and at extreme scale. Food, fuel, shells, and missiles held in reserve may look idle during peace, yet industry cannot produce them instantly after a crisis begins. The recent scramble for vaccines and personal protective equipment illustrates the delay between identifying a need and expanding supply. Munitions pose an even harder problem because output depends on scarce factories, trained workers, specialized machine tools, and long component lead times. The argument does not excuse waste or overambitious procurement, compared here to trying to buy the moon when a satellite would do. War stocks are a form of readiness even when business accounting treats them as unused inventory.
Chapter · 30:22-33:39
War stocks versus just-in-time efficiency
Lean inventory works for routine commerce, but military readiness requires food, fuel, shells, and missiles before a crisis creates sudden demand.