The KC-46 is intended to serve multiple roles for the Air Force, but continued problems with the plane has created uncertainty. Thankfully, the Pentagon arranged a fixed-price contract for the aircraft.
Secretary Esper’s Reforms Face Long Odds
New Department of Defense Secretary Mark Esper has prioritized reforming the way the Pentagon spends money. Predecessors with similar goals failed miserably.
Fifteen Years Later, the Defense Travel System is Still a Mess
The DTS distributed nearly $1 billion in improper payments over a three-year period.
Air Force’s Decline in Mission-Capable Aircraft Continues
The Air Force struggles to field mission-capable aircraft. This is caused by an aging fleet and the failure of new aircraft such as the Joint Strike Fighter.
Spidey Sense Signals Incoming Pork
The United States spends approximately 3.2 percent of gross domestic product on defense each year, good for $716 billion in fiscal year 2019, a total that dwarfed spending for all other federal agencies. Unfortunately, the Department of Defense (DOD) performs notoriously poorly when it comes to tracking spending. The DOD remains the sole federal agency […]
Members of Congress Again Fail to Learn a Lesson
On May 20, 2019, the House Appropriations Committee released its report to accompany the Department of Defense (DOD) appropriations bill for fiscal year (FY) 2020. The report provides funding for 90 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft, 12 more than was requested by the Department of Defense (DOD). This follows the established trend in recent […]
DOD Auditors Swing and Miss
Auditors at the Department of Defense (DOD) have provided a blueprint for underachieving students everywhere: they may have failed the test, but they never expected to pass! Speaking to reporters on November 15, 2018, Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan stated “We failed the audit, but we never expected to pass it.” While the DOD […]
Lost in Space: New Branch Makes Little Sense
Citizens Against Government Waste has previously covered the idea of creating a sixth military branch. The argument in favor of a Space Force is almost entirely without merit. It will increase bureaucracy, add to overhead costs, and complicate existing command structures, all without providing additional capabilities. For these very reasons, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis was […]
F-35: More Money, More Problems
The acquisition misadventures of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program have been well-documented. In development for nearly 17 years and seven years behind schedule, the program is approximately $173 billion over budget and has encountered an abundance of persistent issues. An April 2015 Government Accountability Office report noted that the lifetime operation and maintenance […]
Safeguarding Infrastructure Investment
As a candidate, President Trump pledged to invest in upgrading the country’s infrastructure. While there is no formal plan to date from the White House, President Trump stated on May 1, 2017, that “If you have a job that you can’t start within 90 days, we’re not going to give you the money for it because it doesn’t help. … We’re going to be very strong on that. They have to be able to start within 90 days.”