If the House Armed Services readiness panel has its way, the Pentagon would establish a permanent corrosion policy and oversight office directly under the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics. Currently, there is a corrosion office about “three layers removed” from the undersecretary, according to the panel’s Fiscal 2008 defense authorization bill markup statement. The subcommittee also notes that “corrosion is a $10 billion problem for DOD, but this year’s budget provides only $14 million for the corrosion office.” The authorizers also want the Pentagon to submit an annual report detailing long-term strategy and the savings recouped and explaining how it arrived at its funding request based on requirements.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth vowed to undertake far-reaching reforms on the way the U.S. military buys weapons, promising a sweeping overhaul of the way the Defense Department determines requirements, handles the acquisition process, and tests its kit. The fundamental goal, which Hegseth underscored in a 1-hour and 10-minute speech…
