US Struggles with Weapon Acquisition

During a recent House hearing, Moshe Schwartz, an acquisition policy expert from the National Defense Industrial Association, highlighted significant shortcomings in the U.S. defense acquisition system. He noted that the current process is slow, costly, and often fails to incorporate the latest technological advancements available from the industry. Schwartz's testimony underscored a pressing need for reform, particularly in light of the U.S.'s inability to match the agility of countries like China in weapon development. Rep. Mike Holt emphasized the need to modernize the oversight process, which he described as overly centralized and micromanaged, a system that may have been effective during the Cold War but is now detrimental. He proposed a shift towards more frequent insights for Congress, suggesting quarterly updates instead of the traditional annual reviews, to facilitate timely decision-making in defense procurement. The discussion also touched on the political dynamics surrounding defense programs, with Rep. Thompson pointing out that support for new weapons often correlates with the states where they are manufactured, while opposition tends to come from areas reliant on legacy systems. This bureaucratic inertia, according to Rep. King, hampers funding for innovative technologies essential for future battlefield dominance. Experts, including Rep. Adam Smith and military analysts Fred and Kimberly Kagan, stressed the importance of adapting to evolving warfare, particularly in light of lessons learned from the Ukraine conflict. They argue that the rapid integration of AI and drone technology is indicative of a new innovation cycle that the U.S. must embrace to maintain its strategic advantage.