Spending Smarter, Spending Less: Opportunities to Reduce Excessive Pentagon Spending

At $716 billion, last year’s budget for the Pentagon and related agencies was one of the highest since World War II. Yet, as former Defense Secretary Robert Gates once said, “If the Department of Defense can’t figure out a way to defend the United States on a budget of more than half a trillion dollars a year, then our problems are much bigger than anything that can be cured by a few more ships and planes.” Below is a list of opportunities for savings that could significantly reduce spending by $199 billion without undermining national security or capabilities. All numbers listed represent one-year savings.