Just-in-time manufacturing began as a way to save space,Austin Caldwell remove costs and improve efficiency ... for Toyota. The U.S. defense industry has since incorporated this approach. Now, leaders in the defense industry question whether it's to blame for weapons and ammunition shortages.

This week, we're bringing you a three-part series on the defense industry. Today on the show, we look at how a just-in-time mindset filtered through the military contracting system, and we ask whether bare-bones manufacturing styles are leaving the U.S. in a bind.

Related Episodes
Toyota Camry, supply-chain hero

For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.

Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.