Wicker: Outlines Pentagon Reform Plan
By U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.)
DOD Must Adopt American Innovation
American service members are the most talented, professional, and sophisticated warfighters on the planet. They regularly succeed in the most complicated missions, but we would never expect them to do the job without the proper tools. The Department of Defense (DOD) should be set up to deliver an adequate supply of the latest equipment to service members – as quickly and as affordably as possible. Unfortunately, the Pentagon gets in its own way. The DOD is bogged down by a thicket of complicated regulations that slow defense production down, ratchet prices up, and keep equipment out of troops’ hands.
Rebuild and Reform
These problems are a danger to military readiness, and they are an unnecessary waste of taxpayer dollars. In the U.S. Senate, I serve as the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, which drafts our annual national defense bill. I am writing this legislation to accomplish two goals: rebuilding our military and reforming the Pentagon’s acquisition practices at the same time.
Consequences of DOD Regulations
Across the country, manufacturers build the ships, aircraft, and equipment that the DOD purchases for service members. Unfortunately, the DOD has turned itself into a very difficult customer. A few examples illustrate the problem. In 1957, the Pentagon awarded the first-ever contract for a nuclear aircraft carrier. It was ready for service four years later. Today, we are unable to build a single submarine in less than eight years. Just after World War II ended, the DOD published an 8-page rulebook that governed defense production contracts. Since then, the rules have ballooned to 3,500 pages.
By piling on regulations, the DOD has stifled the competition that fosters innovation and lowers prices. Only a few – very large and established – companies can afford to accommodate so many specific requirements. Small companies rarely have the capacity to make such unique products for just one customer. Over time, many have opted to work for more straightforward customers in the private sector.
As these companies miss out on government contracts, the DOD misses out, too. Across the country, entrepreneurs are building creative uses of the latest technologies, and many of them could have defense applications. The DOD is frequently outpaced by the energy of the private sector. By the time officials make a decision – let alone field a new system – the private sector has created the next innovation. The future of warfare will be dominated by quickly evolving technology, and the Pentagon can no longer afford to box out the vast resources of America’s startup ecosystem.
Restoring Freedom’s Forge
It is far past time to reform this messy, bureaucratic, and wasteful system, and I have introduced legislation to do just that. Called the Forged Act, my bill is the most extensive defense acquisition reform proposal in 40 years. It would strip away hundreds of 1950s-era regulations and repeal many of the government-specific requirements that keep smaller companies from working with the DOD. Among other things, the bill would compel the Pentagon to choose commercial, rather than government-specific, products when available. Ultimately, these changes would add competition into the defense industry – lowering costs, incentivizing excellence, and equipping front-line soldiers faster.
I named this legislation in honor of the forges of American industry as it sprang to life to support the Allies during World War II. The United States faces challenges today that are eerily similar to those that surrounded us before that war. Back then, we were not ready before conflict erupted. Today, our industrial base has even less capacity. We must restore freedom’s forge now so we can rebuild the strength needed to keep such a war from happening again.
This “Wicker Report” column is provided by U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), who is solely responsible for its content.
