What Defence Buyers really need to achieve sovereign capability

Pressures from global conflict, tariffs, and resource scarcity are forcing governments to re-assess:

• What sovereign capability actually means
• Which sovereign capabilities are critical
• How local sourcing reduces risk – and where it falls short
• What’s needed to move beyond Tier 1 visibility

• How to reduce single points of failure

This paper offers straightforward guidance for Defence buyers. It shows where blind spots exist, what reshoring misses, and how to avoid relying on single suppliers. Most importantly, it demonstrates how JOSCAR - a community built by buyers - helps you source and onboard local suppliers faster, with confidence. 

Introduction 

Defence buyers are being asked to do more with less certainty. They’re expected to reduce risk, boost resilience, and ensure continuity - all while navigating a more dynamic external environment.  

But here’s the truth: old models of due diligence and supplier onboarding weren’t built for today’s pace or complexity.  

Sovereign sourcing is increasingly a board-level issue. But confusion remains for Procurement leaders:

• If reshoring isn’t enough, what is?
• If risk is hidden in lower tiers, how do I see it?
• I need to reduce single points of failure in my supply chain, but where do I start? 

This paper tackles these questions head-on, using real-world examples - not abstract theory.