WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — A new proposal would make the US military services leadership accountable for defense acquisitions and cost overruns within their respective branches, US Senate Armed Services Committee chairman John McCain told Sputnik.
“We want to put the service chiefs in a position of responsibility,” McCain said on Wednesday of his new acquisitions reform proposal.
The reform would put the chiefs of the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, and Navy in charge of overseeing acquisitions, and signing off on delays and cost overruns within their service branch.
McCain said he is working with the US House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry to make the proposal a law.
The purpose of the reform is “to make the service chiefs accountable,” McCain noted, explaining that US military acquisitions are currently handled centrally at the Pentagon by the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics.
“Ask the Pentagon who is responsible for the billions of dollars cost overrun of the F-35 [fighter jet program]. They will tell you they don’t know,” McCain stated.
“We know where the money is going, it is going to the defense contractors,” McCain stated.
The US Senate Armed Services Committee is working to pass a defense authorization bill within the US Congress self-imposed budget limits.
McCain’s reform proposal has been incorporated into the Senate version of the National Defense Authorization Act during closed door meetings this week, according to US media reports.
