Fixing defense acquisition.

• Author: Krauthammer, Ted
• Position: Readers' Forum - Letter to the editor

* In regards to Lt. Gen. Lawrence Farrell Jr.'s July 2013 editorial, "Time Is Right to Clean up Defense Acquisition," you have identified a most critical problem by describing what is happening in the current defense acquisition process. Most of the Defense Department program managers are PMs without meaningful technical backgrounds in the topic areas for their projects.

Until the late 1980s or mid-1990s, one encountered PMs with advanced degrees.

Contractors were expected to defend their ideas and products. The discussions were focused and challenging.

The situation changed quite quickly. Many PMs are primarily concerned with schedules and spending rates. They cannot discuss technical matters meaningfully, if at all, and they may have to engage other contractors to explain what might be going on. As you've pointed out, this creates a very steep, slippery slope with disastrous consequences to our technological/industrial base, national economy and national defense.

The same holds true concerning the topic addressed in the July 2013 column by Sandra I. Erwin, "Pentagon Tries to Recapture Tech...