AEI experts recommended many acquisition fixes in the Senate defense policy bill

Over the years, scholars with AEI’s Marilyn Ware Center for Security Studies have suggested various reforms for the Defense Department’s current acquisition system. These reforms focus on removing unnecessary regulations, promoting line management and accountability, and allowing acquisition professionals to take the initiative rather than merely follow a complex set of rules.

The Senate Armed Services Committee’s version of the defense authorization bill is expected to hit the floor this week and many of the acquisition reforms proposed by AEI scholars can be found within the bill. Some of these include:

• Establish a two-track approach to rebuild the entire acquisition system over time with expert outside help. (A-4)
• Ensure current rapid acquisition authorities survive and thrive in postwar environment. (B-5)
• Allow non-traditional & commercial contractors like SpaceX and Google to easily enter promising prototyping contracts by removing onerous approval process. (B-10)
• Establish an innovation fund for operational prototypes and rapid acquisitions using other transition authority (OTA). (D-30)
• Mandate longer program manager tenure to lock in expertise and improve accountability. (E-39)

To see the full list, click here. For more AEI work on defense acquisition reform, click here.

To arrange an interview with an AEI defense expert or with another AEI scholar, please contact media services at mediaservices@aei.org or 202.862.5829.

Marilyn Ware Center for Security Studies
The Marilyn Ware Center for Security Studies seeks to define the ends, ways, and means necessary to restore U.S. military preeminence and preserve a balance of power in favor of freedom. Co-directed by Tom Donnelly and Gary Schmitt, the center’s team of scholars includes an array of former policymakers, Pentagon officials, and senior congressional staff dedicated to detailing a program to reform and enhance America’s military and provide policy options to address the country’s security requirements.

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