Defense Procurement for the 21st Century: Balancing Soldier Safety with Cost Savings

December 2010

Past Event

Defense Procurement for the 21st Century: Balancing Soldier Safety with Cost Savings

Past Event

Hudson Institute, Washington, D.C. Headquarters

December 15, 2010

December 2010

Past Event

1015 15th Street, N.W., 6th Floor
Washington, DC 20005

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Speakers:

Seth Cropsey,

Hudson Senior Fellow and former Deputy Undersecretary of the Navy

General Thomas Hill (ret.),

Former commander of the U.S. Southern Command

Captain Tim Holden (ret),

Former Navy SEAL

Thomas Donnelly,

Resident Fellow and Director, Center for Defense Studies

Critics claim that the defense procurement process is inefficient: it often places too much emphasis on the lowest cost and hampers innovation in the defense sector. In the current budget climate, with significant calls for defense budget reductions, reforming defense spending may be counterproductive. Should short-term cost savings drive defense reform or should defense policy reformers seek a broader overhaul that might incorporate effectiveness standards for equipment and new technologies, including combat effectiveness, portability, and resilience?

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