Weapons makers have ‘conned’ US military into buying expensive equipment, Army Secretary says
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The US Army has said previously a Blackhawk helicopter screen control knob that costs US$47,000 (S$61,000) could be manufactured independently for just US$15.
PHOTO: AFP
WASHINGTON – Large defence companies have “conned” the US military into buying expensive equipment when cheaper commercial options would have been available, US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said.
Government accountability advocates and some lawmakers have long argued that defence contractors have overcharged the military.
But Mr Driscoll’s comments were unusually blunt for a sitting government official speaking out against companies that supply the largest military in the world.
“(The) defence industrial base broadly, and the primes in particular, conned the American people and the Pentagon and the army,” Mr Driscoll told reporters, referring to prime contractors that work directly with the government.
He added that, in part, it was the government’s fault for creating incentive structures that encouraged companies to charge astronomical prices.
Large weapons makers provide the US military with all types of systems, from Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fighter jets to missile defence systems from companies like RTX, Northrop Grumman and Boeing.
Previously, the army has said a Lockheed-owned Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopter screen control knob that costs US$47,000 (S$61,000) as part of a full assembly could be manufactured independently for just US$15.
“The system has changed. You will no longer be allowed to do that to the United States Army,” Mr Driscoll said.
The army is launching an initiative to streamline its acquisition process. It is part of an overall effort by the Pentagon to allow the military to more rapidly acquire technology amid growing global threats.
Reuters reported last week that the US Army is aiming to buy at least a million drones in the next two to three years and, instead of partnering larger defence contractors, it wants to work with companies that are producing drones that can have commercial applications as well.
Democratic US Senator Elizabeth Warren has escalated pressure on the defence industry to stop opposing military right-to-repair legislation. REUTERS
