Rep. Mac Thornberry discusses defense acquisition reform proposals

Before crafting the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act, Congress intends to review the Pentagon acquisition system, known in large part for its protracted and expensive decision-making processes. Congress is now shifting its focus to establishing greater agility in the acquisitions system. With an eye toward streamlining the process in the face of rapid technological change, new legislation will seek to encourage more experimentation and prototyping early in the development cycle, as well as simplifying and shortening the process.

On March 15, the Center for 21st Century Security and Intelligence at Brookings hosted a discussion on defense acquisition reform and a new reform bill. Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, spoke on the issue. Brookings Senior Fellow Michael O’Hanlon, author of “The Future of Land Warfare,” moderated the discussion.