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Wasteful Defense Spending
POGO Files
Related Resources (government documents and letters)
POGO in the News
POGO Files
Can the Pentagon Be Fixed? Cato Institute Forum March 13, 2009
Most defense analysts agree: the Pentagon is in serious need of reform. Acquisition programs run above cost and behind schedule. The U.S. defense budget is higher than at any point during the Cold War, but capability has not kept pace. We field fewer ships, aircraft, and tanks than we did in the days of lower procurement spending. And our defense spending prepares us better for the conventional wars we imagine than the unconventional conflicts we fight.
The question is what to do about these problems. Should we give more power over budgets to civilians or combatant commanders? Should we change procurement rules or push the services to buy cheaper but less capable weapons? Should we continue to reform the ground forces to fight small wars or simply avoid them? Should we slash defense spending?
Are We Buying the Right Weapons in the Best Way? April 3, 2001
The Pentagon's Weapons Buying Systems: Lessons Learned," transcript of panel discussion featuring: Dr. Jacques Gansler, former Undersecretary for Acquisition and Technology, Mr. Philip E. Coyle, III, former Director, Operational Test and Evaluation, Dr. Kenneth Oscar, Acting Assistant Secretary for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology and moderated by Mr. James Doyle, a founder of Defense News and former executive editor of Army, Navy, and Air Force Times.
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Related Resources
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POGO in the News
The Great Audit, By Alyssa Rosenberg & Elizabeth Newell, Government Executive Magazine, June 19, 2009 Top
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