Acquisition reform reignites old feud: weapon buyers vs. weapon testers.

• Position: Form the National Defense Blog

Pentagon acquisition chief Frank Kendall's plan to wring out more "efficiency" from testing has stirred old animosities between the procurement shop and the office of the director of operational test and evaluation--which operates independently from the procurement office and reports directly to the secretary of defense.

DOT&E, as the testing office is known, has been a thorn in the side of many big-ticket weapon programs. Kendall's comments are raising fears in the testing community that their budgets will be gutted.

Acquisition executives from every branch of the military have chafed at being blindsided by DOT&E reports. For many years, program managers have sought to have more control over test reports before DOT&E releases them to Congress and the...