Pentagon Must Improve ‘Not Acceptable’ Procurement, Carter Says
September 13, 2011
The U.S. Defense Department's weapons buying system is "not acceptable" and steps will be taken to rein in costs, said President Barack Obama's nominee to become deputy secretary of defense.
Although improved under a 2009 reform law, Pentagon procurement "is still not acceptable and I believe there are some additional actions we are going to need to take to get better value," Ashton Carter said at his confirmation hearing.
This year's deficit reduction law that seeks to cut $1.5 trillion in federal spending over 10 years is forcing the Pentagon to rein in weapons spending that grew by "habit of mind" when budgets were flush, according to Carter.
The Budget Control Act, signed Aug. 2 by President Barack Obama, calls for trimming $330 billion over 10 years from Pentagon spending plans. That means the department must "redouble its efforts" to control costs in weapons and research and reexamine all areas for affordability, Carter said in written answers to questions from the Senate Armed Services Committee before today's hearing.