Military procurement

09 June 2008 -- A Swedish research organization says global military spending has increased 45 percent over the past decade, while noting increased support for new arms control talks.

In its annual report, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute says international military spending reached nearly $1.4 trillion in 2007 - a six percent increase from the previous year. Arms sales by leading manufacturers during the same period jumped eight percent.

Commenting on the data, institute chief Bates Gill said there is growing urgency around the globe to bring a mainstream momentum to arms control. He also said disarmament by the largest nuclear powers - the United States and Russia - could play a critical role in spurring reduced military spending elsewhere in the world.    » read more »

High turnover and poor retention hurting ability to oversee defense contracting

June 3, 2008 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill today took the Department of Defense to task for contracting mishaps in recent years due in part to high turnover and vacancies in the offices responsible for overseeing defense contracts. At stake, McCaskill says, are billions of dollars as the military experiences high-levels of cost overruns and delays.    » read more »

Opening Statement of Senator Carl Levin, Senate Armed Services Committee Hearing on DOD Acquisition of Major Weapons Systems

June 3, 2008 -- The Committee meets today to consider the performance of DOD’s major acquisition programs at a time when cost growth on these programs has reached crisis proportions.

F-35A “Lightning II” Joint Strike Fighter: Lockheed Martin photo by Tom Harvey    » read more »

WASHINGTON, June 3, 2008 – The Defense Department is working to limit the growth of procurement costs for new equipment, the Pentagon’s top acquisition official reported in written testimony submitted to the Senate Armed Services Committee today.

“Has there been cost growth in some DoD programs? Yes, and I’m not here to condone it,” John J. Young Jr., undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, noted in his written testimony.

“Indeed, I am seeking to strictly limit cost growth,” Young emphasized.

The Senate committee is concerned about a recent Government Accountability Office report citing cost growth of nearly $300 billion across 95 defense acquisition programs. The GAO is an investigative arm of Congress.    » read more »